Trivandrum is located on the southern tip of the Indian west coast, sandwiched by Arabian Sea, Western Ghats and interlining back Trivandrum Citywaters. Built on seven hills, it is the greenest among Indian cities and at the same time, the most sedate in terms of fashion, hang out zones and pubs. Tradition rubs shoulder with modernity in Trivandrum. This previous seat of the Travancore Empire proudly exhibits its royal splendour inspite of the bustling cosmopolitanism and its tall new generation mansions. The city spans an area of 141.74 km2 (54.73 sq m) and the greater metropolitan area covers an area of 250 sq km (96.53 sq m) with an average elevation of 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea level.
Trivandrum is the hub of all the political activities in the state. The city is culturally very active, especially during the festival season of Onam (August/ September), and the tourist season following that. India's first technology park- Technopark, is here. Spread over 300 acres, it is the state's IT hub hosting over 225 IT and ITES companies amdist green surroundings. Kerala Film and Video Park is a fast developing centre for animation, multimedia, post-production and other media-related operations with India's first Animation SEZ zone housed in. Trivandrum is also the centre of various organised film activities, housing several reputed organisations like Kerala State Film Development Corporation,
In this seat of the previous Travancore Empire, you will have a plethora of beautiful Options to explore internationally renowned beaches, serene lakes, cliffs, a rich cultural heritage, monuments, wild life and shopping.
This three century-old temple is one of the richest shrines in the world with an estimated royal treasure of 90000 crores in its secret cellars. Spilling over 2400 sq metres is in an ancient enclosure, it is located in the heart of the city. The main entrance is a seven-tier gopuram (gateway tower) and the vast temple complex is full of awe inspiring structures depicting episodes from Lord Vishnu's life. In the inner sanctum, the deity Lord Padmanabha (Lord Vishnu) reclines on a sacred serpent 'Anantha' and is said to be made of over 10,000 salagramam (sacred stones) transported from Nepal on elephants.
TIMINGS: 3:30am to 12pm and 5pm to 7:20pm.
These are the traditional structures that adorn the Fort enclave of the temple. Palace Museum is an erstwhile royal building which houses a good collection of invaluable belongings of the Travancore Empire. Kuthiramalika Palace is a unique palace designed by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal (the famous singer-king of Travancore). The name is derived from its horse shaped windows and exquisite series of sculptured prancing horses that line in the first floor gallery.
Timings: From 8:30 am to 1pm and 3 to 5:30pm.
(Monday holiday).
North Park Ground is an oasis of hilly woodland with in which there is a couple of museum, gallery, botanical garden, lake, zoo and a reptile house, comfortably nestled within the city limits. The outstanding building is the Napier Museum. Dating back to 1880, the building features a blend of Kerala, Mughal, Chinese and Italian styles of architecture. The museum has a rare collection of historic artefacts, bronze idols, wooden and ivory carvings dating back to 8th century, many rare coins from the Chera, Chola and Pandya dynasties and life- size Kathakali figures.
Chitra Art Gallery houses a vast collection of ancient and modern paintings from India and South-East Asia, especially from Mughal, Rajasthani, Tanjore schools and from Roerich, China, Japan, Tibet, and Bali. Public is allowed only to have a glimpse of this large architectural wonder from outside.
Timings: 10am-4:45pm. Closed on Mondays.
This is situated adjacent to Kowdiar Palace and was laid out in the 1850s. Spread over a sprawling 25 acres, the nine-holed course is enriched with more than 3,400 trees of over 1,000 species. Guests and nonmembers are also permitted to play here. The typically colonial heritage club building is more than 100 years old.
Kanaka Kunnu Palace (Golden Hill Palace)
Kanaka kunnu Palace is the cultural hotspot of the town. The large palace and its spacious gardens ablaze with flowers was once the banquet palace for royal guests. The grand lit up lawns are now open air auditoriums where many cultural events houses.
Kochu Veli is a small strip of land where the placid back waters merges with boundless blue of Arabian Sea. It is a wonderful picnic spot and is developed as a tourist village. A water front park with wading pool, boating facilities, a floating restaurant and bridge, aqua sports facilities and a beautiful garden entertains the endless visitors.
Located nearly 10 kms from Thiruvananthapuram, The sunkissed sandy beaches and pristine blue waters of Kovalam needs no introduction. Spread over four km, there is beauty in abundance. There are three curve shaped beaches, alienated by stony outcroppings- the southern most or the Lighthouse beach, the Hawah and Samudra. The most popular is the 'Lighthouse' where there is a lighthouse dating back to the British days.
This is about 3 km away from Kovalam. Vizhinjam's speciality is its unspoilt beach with a fishing harbour, light house, and a rock cut cave. As it is less crowded than Kovalam, it has got a slice of local life and an air of serenity.
Neyyar Dam is located about 30 kms away from the city. Tucked in the southern low hills of the Western Ghats is an eco tourism spot with a beautiful lake, a wild life sanctuary, crocodile-park and a 60 year old dam encompassed in a large park ideal for family picnic. One can enjoy a wonderful boat ride soaking your eyes in ever green freshness around, enjoy the water sports, and have a panoramic view from the watch tower, wild life watching from the Lion Safari Park.
Timings: 10am to 7pm. Monday.
Agasthyavanam is an eco tourism centre 12kms from Neyyar. From the Lion Safari Park, there are trekking possibilities to Agasthyagoodam. Agasthyakoodam Mountain is the second highest peak in Kerala, at a height of 1890mts above sea level. The mountain is believed to be the abode of sage Agastya, a disciple of Shiva. The forests and biological park of Agasthyakoodam are rich in rare medicinal herbs and hued orchids.
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