| The Capital city of Kerala. The wooded highlands on the Western Ghats in the eastern and northeastern borders give Thiruvananthapuram some of the most enchanting picnic spots. A long shoreline, with internationally renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage make it a much sought after tourist destination |
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| It is a peaceful attractive city built across seven hills, the city's old quarter clusters around the temple, while along the busy Mahatma Gamdhi Road are colonial mansions, churches and modern high-rises. Thiruvananthapuram had managed to retain some of the ambience characteristics of Kerala such as red tiled roofs, narrow winding lanes and intimate corner cafes |
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| Extensive backwaters provide plenty of water resouce for all. The kings who ruled there have called themselves "Padmanabha-Dasa" or the "servants of LORD Anantha Padmanabha", and ruled the state as the representatives of Lord Anantha Padmanabha. Thiruvananthapuram has many enchanting picnic spots. Thiruvananthapuram and its famous beaches are one of the top tourist destination of Tourists in India |
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| Padmanabha Swamy Temple |
| The temple is located inside the East Fort. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. It is known for its mural paintings and stone carvings. One among the 108 sacred Vishnu temples in India, the presiding deity in here is Lord Vishnu reclining on Anantha the Serpent |
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| Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Museum |
| The palace was built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma - the King of Travancore, who was a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. This rare specimen of workmanship in the traditional Travancore style of architecture also has exquisite wood carvings. The palace museum displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family and is located near the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple |
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| The Napier Museum |
| Built in the 19th century, the Indo - saracenic structure boasts a "natural" air conditioning system and houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings. The use of plastic is banned in the museum premises |
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| Zoological Park |
| (Open 0900 - 1815hrs. Closed on Mondays) One of the first zoos in India, it is located in a well-planned botanical garden. With huge trees like frangipani and jacaranda dotting the sprawling lawns and wild fowl swimming in the lake, it is like a small jungle in the heart of the city. A reptile house with different species of snakes is also located in the premises |
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| Sree Chithra Art Gallery |
| Located near the Napier Museum, this art gallery displays select paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, Svetlova and Nicholas Roerich and exquisite works from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of art in India. The collection also includes paintings from China, Japan, Tibet and Bali |
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| Shankhumugham Beach |
| Just 8 km from the city, this is a favourite haunt of sunset watchers. The beach is adjacent to the Thiruvananthapuram Airport and Veli Tourist Village. An indoor recreation club, the matsya kanyaka (a gigantic, 35 m long sculpture of a mermaid) and a restaurant shaped like a starfish are some of the attractions here |
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| Varkala Beach |
Varkala is a seaside resort and spa. It is also an important Hindu centre of pilgrimage. The final resting place of the great social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru, is near Varkala, atop a hill called Sivagiri. High cliffs with mineral springs rise majestically from the coastline. According to a myth, sage Narada was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his valkkalam (cloth made of the bark of a tree) into the air, and the place where it landed was subsequently named Varkala More... |
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| Poovar Beach |
| Poovar is one among the natural wonders where the Lake, River, Sea and Beach meet the land. A rare find in Kerala, the southern state of India. More... |
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| Ponmudi Hills |
| An idyllic hill resort with narrow, winding pathways and cool, green, wooded environs, Ponmudi is located 915 metres above sea level. Along with a variety of beautiful mountain flowers, exotic butterflies, small rivulets, springs and the deer park nearby, this hill station also has excellent trekking trails More... |
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| Kovalam Beach |
| This internationally renowned beach resort has been a favorite haunt of tourists since the 1930s. Kovalam consists of three adjacent crescent beaches. The southernmost, known as the Lighthouse Beach, is the most popular. More... |
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| Padmanabapuram Palace |
| The old palace at Padmanabhapuram 15 kms from Nagercoil on the highway to Trivandrum is a rare archaeological museum containing fine architectural, works, sculptures, mural paintings and weapons of war. The ancient town is surrounded by a square fortification of stone about 4 kms perimeter. The beautiful Mantrasala (Council Chamber) which displays exquisite wood carvings, Thaikottaram the oldest of all edifices, Ayudhasala, the store house of weapons utilised for war, the three storied edifice called " Upparikka Malika" containing the famous Chamber of murals hailed as "the Ajanta of Kanyakumari" and a wooden cot made of 64 medicinal plants, the hall of historical oil paintings known as "Chitralaya", the Navarathri mandapa with a shrine of Saraswathi and an ancient clock tower are the note worthy features of the palace. The story of Ramayana which has been depicted dramatically around the inner prakara on 145 wooden panels in the Ramaswamy temple inside the fort is one of the bes specimens of wood art in the whole of India |
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| The palace is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on all days except Mondays. Frequent buses run from Thiruvananthapuram’s Thampanoor bus stand to Padmanabhapuram. Another way is to board any bus for Nagercoil or Kanyakumari and alight at Thakkalay |
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| How to reach |
Air - Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)international airport : Travel time - 20 mins by road
Road - well connected to all towns & cities.
Rail - there are direct trains to all the main towns in kerala as well as the major cities in india. |
