Kerala, one of the smallest states in India, situated at the southwest corner of India, is a land of natural beauty. It is probably one of the reasons why it is called Gods own Country. The land is blessed by nature--with lots of greenery, coconut trees, clean rivers, back waters, paddy fields, and scenic beauty. Thiruvananthapuram (earlier known as Trivandrum ) is the capital city of Kerala. It is considered to be the abode of the thousand headed Anatha, the holy serpent on which Lord Vishnu reclines. Hence the name Thiruv-anantha-puram.
Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple: It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, where he is Ananthashayanam i.e., laying posture, on the coiled serpent Anantha. This shrine attracts thousands of devotees as this is probably the only temple in India that has Vishu in the lying position. Infact, you can not see the entire idol in one glimpse. You can see parts of them through three doors! The temple is an awesome structure that has a 100 feet high ’gopuram’. I don’t know when it is originally built, but it was renovated in the 18th century by Raja Marthanda Varma, who was then the ruler of Travancore (as Trivandrum was called then).
Only Hindus are allowed inside and dress regulations are strictly followed. The ladies have to wear saree (girls can wear full length lehanga and blouse). No short skirts, trousers or salwaar kameez allowed! Guys also have to wear Mundu (no trousers allowed) to enter the temple. Don’t worry, you can rent them outside the temple complex!
Trivandrum Zoo: Kids, parents, grand parents, in short people ofall ages will enjoy this place. There is a large variety of birds and animals in the zoo. It also has a reptile house and a museum containing stuffed birds and animals. Yeah!
As a kid, I used to visit it religiously every year, when I used to go to Trivandrum for my summer vacations. It is spread on a large area and hence, be ready to have a long walk. It is good to carry water and a cap! You are not allowed to take in plastic bottles or polythene bags. One word of caution, if you ask the local people (or the autowallas) where the zoo is they may just stare at you. Ask for the museum!
Sree Chitra Art Gallery: In the same premises of the zoo is an art galary which displays some paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, and some wellknown Russian artists. You can find different art types and exquisite works from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of art. It also contains some Rajasthani and Mughal miniatures. The collection also includes paintings from China, Japan, Tibet and Russia.
You don’t have to be an artist, to visit this gallary! After visiting the gallary, you can enjoy ice cream, cold drinks or cold milk sold in the stalls just outside this gallary and then proceed to the Napier Museum.
Napier Museum: It is located in the premises of the Trivandrum zoo. The Museum itself is an architectural splendor which combines traditional Kerala style with the Chinese and Mughal influences. It contains a rare collection of archaeological and historical artifacts.
This Museum is not open through out the day and so plan your visit accordingly. If I am not mistaken, it is closed on Mondays. On the other days, it is open from 10 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. On one of these days, it opens only at 1.00pm. In the zoo complex, you can see three things. Infact, there are a lot of trees and you can actually have a picnic there!
Priyadarshini Planetarium: This is just about 1.5 to 2 kms from the museum. It is said to be one of the most sophisticated Planetarium in India. It has a centrally air conditioned Sky theater with a seating capacity of about 200 people. It has organized shows dealing with the origin and different stages of development of the universe, the structure of different planets etc. Be sure of the show timings when you visit this place.
Shankhumugham Beach: It is close to the Thiruvananthapuram Airport and is a favorite haunt of sunset watchers. After 5.00, this place is really crowded. No exactly a place if you longing to go into the water and get wet (specially the ladies). Then you will be surrounded by onlookers :) Near the beach is a gigantic sculpture of a mermaid (35 m long) made on a well maintained green lawn. An attraction for the children is the Children’s traffic training park.
Kovalam: Kovalam means a grove of coconut trees (because of the coconut trees along the beaches). A visit to Trivandrum is not complete without visiting Kovalam, one of the most popular beachs in India. Where when you are tired swimming or sunbathing, you can explore the handicrafts, jewelery and cloth shops. Mind you, they are rather expensive! You can try the delicious sea-food available at the beach side restaurants.
Beema Palli it is actually an important Muslim pilgrim center, dedicated to Beema Beevi, a pious Muslim lady (believed to have possessed divine powers). Palli means mosque or church. Devotees of all faiths visit the mosque. But unfortunately, the place is now more popular for the smuggled electronics goods.
If you are a techno-savy person and want to check out the latest electronic goods or for that matter anything else, this is the place to go! Well, police does not even dare to look at this place! So behave properly when you are there!
Veli Tourist Village: It is a large recreational center located near the airport. You can enjoy the beach, the backwater, boating in the sheltered lagoon, beautifully, landscaped garden and a floating bridge too!
Aattukal Temple: The Aattukal Bhagavathi Temple is dedicated to the Goddess Bhagavathi. the The specialty of this temple Pongala, an exclusive festival for women (in Feb-March) where in women cook on the roads and offer the prasad to the godess. I have not been a part of it or seen it ever, but I have heard a lot about it from my sister and aunts who perform this rite almost every year!
Shopping: A visit to any place is not complete if you don’t go shopping! Go to East Fort and just walk around. You will find the jewellery shops and cloth shops. It is pleasure just to watch people buying jewellery. Check out the designs and the variety. I assure you you will not find such a collection anywhere else in the world! You can also buy the traditional Kerala sarees (and even the salwar set) from the cloth shops, specially the Karalkada.
What to eat?: Remember that the food is different from other states (even different from the Kerala food that you eat in Pune or other cities). Coconut in all its form is used in cooking. Most of the time food is cooked in coconut oil. Coconut milk or the paste of grated coconut forms the base of the curry. Some types of fish and some sweet dishes are steamed after wrapping them in coconut leaves for flavour. Fermented coconut water is used to make neer appams! So go according to your taste for food. Try out appam and puttu with the traditional curries. Try out tapioca and fish curry (I just love it). If possible avoid eating ’’punjabi food’’ as they may be remotely punjabi. Don’t forget to buy freshly made hot banana chips for yourself and for your friends!
Hope you enjoy your visit to Trivandrum, sorry Thiruvananthapuram! There are other places of interest around Trivandrum (Vizhinjam, Aruvikkara, Ponmudi, Padmanabhapuram Palace, Koyikkal Palace, Neyyar Dam etc.)