At
the Southern extremity of Kerala, 55 kms north of the former capital of
Travancore and 87 kms short kms short outhern extremity of Indian mainland.
Thiruvananathapuram main attraction is Sree Padmanabhaswamy Shrine, or
precisely a synonym befitted on the land of Kerala. Small rudiments like
palaces of Travancore rulers, gracious tharavads and bungalows, land
distinction to the city. Washed by the waves of the Arabian Sea, and
sprawling across seven hills, the city is crowned by Western Ghats, which
stands erected the horizon. Whatever be the reason, Trivandrum's biggest
boast is its cultural heritage which is why museums and art galleries top
all must-do lists. The city has earned for itself the Pacific Asia Travel
Association Gold Awards for Heritage Conservation.
Tourist Attractions in
Thiruvananthapuram
Trivandrum is pleasantly draped in low-coastal terrains, narrow winding
lanes and undulating commercialized streets. Get acquainted with bits of
topography and geography the city shares with you. Ferry in local transports
reading and waltzing past the monumental relics, churches and synagogues.
Follow the trails closely upto temple and fort, your first stop.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
The temple is located just south-west of the railway station and the
Thampanoor Bus Stand. The 30-meter Gopurams above the entrance, built in
Dravidian style and 365 carved granite pillars in its inner corridors set it
apart from other temples in Kerala. The temple celebrates two festivals
annually in which the royal family participate actively.
Puttan Malika Palace
Just as you exit the boundaries of temple you will enter Puttan Mallika
Palace. As you approach the entrance to the inner Palace set within a
complex of several palaces, the slanting wooden beam in the upper galleries
carved in the form of grinning Kuthiras immediately catch your attention.
The palace displays the King's collection of musical instruments as well as
variety of arms, their beauty and artistry.
The Statue and the Secretariat
Opposite
the Secretariat is a huge black man in a turban sits on a pedestal lost in
thought. This is the famous statue of Diwan Madhav Rao. Around the
secretariat and the statue are several bars, most of them seedy. The Lunch
time sees a whole lot of secretariat splurging to eat their food.
Napier Museum
The other picnic spots of Trivandrum are the ethereally beautifully Napier
Museums and the waving gardens of the observatory. The most important of all
the landmarks in Trivandrum is Napier Museum built by Robert Chisholm. The
Napier Museum is flanked by many other visiting places like Jawahar Lal
Bhavan, Raj Bhavan, Kanakakunnu Palace and Zoo.
Ayurvedic Centers
With so much for the soul, the city also provides succor to the body. The
first Ayurveda college in India was founded in Thiruvananathapuram, a
century and a half ago. Treatments in many of the centers and, and without
the markup for tourists, very affordable, tough quacks abound. Some of the
clinics here are Ayur Clinic, Ayur Health Centre, Ayurveda College, Ayurveda
College, Devaki, Santhigiri, Sreedhari, and Triveni.
Shopping in Thiruvananthapuram
The shops inside East Fort compound offer varieties of mundus, gold
jewelery and brass lamps. Karalkada in Kaithamukku Junction is a great place
to buy traditional Travancore sarees. Kairali Handicrafts near statue
junction and Khadi Gramudyog Bhavan, closer to Ayurveda College Junction,
sell straw bags and mats. For handicraft you can try SMSM Handicraft
Emporium behind the secretariat. Check out Connemera Market, more popularity
known as Palayam Market, purely for its historic value if nothing else.
Chalai Market in Chalai is where you can buy everything from vegetable
jeweleries.
Eating Out in Thiruvananthapuram
Every curve of Trivandrum's major roads houses a murukaam or chaya kada
(paan or tea shops) or both rolled into one. The thattu Kadas -the
ubiquitous and innumerably trolleys dishing out bananas chips- are found at
every junctions are the most popular ones. Grab your banana chips straight
from the frying pan to the packet from Kaithamukku or from YWCA Road.
Trivandrum has many restaurants 'specializing' in north Indian Fare- butter
chicken. You will also find the South Kerala fish curry, cooked with ground
coconut paste and soured with tamarind. Take your pick from the listed
restaurants.
How to reach Thiruvananthapuram
Trivandrum is an international airport, just 6 kms from NH47. Locating
railway station is not at all difficult, Trivandrum Central connects daily
to Delhi and other major cities of India. Now just getting off the train the
task(fetching hotels) gets little tedious, and that's due to overwhelming
number of hotels.
Hotels in Thiruvananthapuram
Travellers have a huge range of hotels in Thiruvananthapuram to choose
from. Whether you want to stay at deluxe hotels in Thiruvananthapuram or
cheap budget hotels or heritage hotels in Thiruvananthapuram, you have got
an array of hotels to book your stay at.
» Muthoot Plaza Hotel
» Poovar Island Resort
» The Travancore Hotel
» The South Park Hotel
» Hotel Residency Tower
» Hotel Mascot
