Created Date: 13 December 2015 Best of Thiruvananthapuram Recommended by Indian travellers City of peace and... I have been visiting this city from past 10 years. Despite of Ganesh economic growth the city of kadaso Trivandrum has retained its or greenery sanctity and... 115 travel stories about Thiruvananthapuram by Indian travellers Page 1/14 Guide includes:About destination | Top things to do | Best accommodations | Travelling tips | Best time to visit About Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram or Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala and also the third largest city. Located in the south-western tip of peninsular India, Thiruvananthapuram is bordered by Arabian Sea in the west and Western Ghats in the east. Thiruvananthapuram city, situated at an average elevation of 6 meters above sea level, is the administrative headquarters of Thiruvananthapuram District. Located on the banks of Karamana and Killi Rivers, it is categorised under Seismic Zone III by the Geological Survey of India. History of Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram got its name from the deity Lord Anantha or Shesha of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple of 7th AD, on which Lord Padmanabhaswamy (Vishnu) is seen to be in a reclining pose. As per historical records, Thiruvananthapuram was a famous port city during 1050 BC and it maintained trade relations with the Middle East and Mediterranean countries. The earliest known rulers of the region were the Tamil Kings called Yadavas or Ays, who ruled from 3 AD to 10 AD. Later, it came under the Venad Empire. The region prospered in 1745 under King Marthanda Varma, who formed the princely state of Travancore and made Thiruvananthapuram its capital. Thiruvananthapuram was submitted to Lord Padmanabhaswamy, the presiding deity of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, and the Rajas of Travancore thence ruled the region on behalf of Lord Padmanabhaswamy as ‘Padmanabhadasas'. People & Culture of Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram rose to become the centre of arts, culture and intellect in the 19th century during the rule of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal (1813 – 1846) and Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal (1832 – 1880) of Travancore. It played an active role in the struggle for Indian Independence. Post-Independence, it merged with the Indian Union. The city became the capital of the state of Kerala in 1956. The economy of the city is driven by IT, medical/bio-technology and medical tourism. Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi are the main languages spoken in this region. The major events in the city are Onam, Attukal Pongala, Aaraat of Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Vishu, Vettucaud Perunaal, etc. Attukal Pongala is an annual festival which, is held at the Attukal Temple in Thiruvananthapuram every year. The festival is held for 10 days with the ninth day being the most important. It marks the largest gathering of women in the world, for which it holds a Guinness World Record, where boiled rice is offered to the goddess in earthen pots. The presiding deity of the Attukal Temple is Attukal Bhagavathy who is an incarnation of Shakti and the temple is often considered to be the Sabarimala of women. Another major tourist attraction in Thiruvananthapuram is the Kadammanitta Padayani Festival. The performances are a must- see for all tourists visiting Thiruvananthapuram in April. Page 2/14 Things to do in Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram also has historic monuments, backwaters, beaches and wildlife sanctuaries. Tourists visiting the city can also plan excursions to Tripparappu Waterfalls, Thiruvattar, Padmanabhapuram, Courtallam, Sabarimala, Thekkady, etc. Activities like river rafting, canoeing and trekking can be done. Thiruvananthapuram holiday packages too have a lot to offer to tourists. The best time to visit Thiruvananthapuram is between October and February. Travelling to Thiruvananthapuram Tourists can easily reach Thiruvananthapuram by air as the city has an airport - Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. It is also well connected to major cities in the country by trains and national as well as state highways. Accommodation options in Thiruvananthapuram Budget stays, homestays, lodges, guesthouses and resorts are a few of the many hotels in Thiruvananthapuram for tourists. Information State: Kerala Famous for/as: City Featured review about Thiruvananthapuram Beautiful and romantic place "I have visited Kerala last month with my girl friend. Such a romantic and peaceful place it was firstly we went to Thiruvananthapuram there we visited vellayani lake ohh! Such a wonderful lake it was full of greenery and pure water and roads also awesome, we went to boating nice and romantic experience there. Next day we visited padmanabhaswamy temple such a traditional temple it was, it is historical temple and You cannot enter the temple wearing modern dresses. After we visited Napier museum nice museum it was, There is a beautiful walkway around the museum and Well maintained museum, nice walk around, nice mural paintings. Thiruvananthapuram zoo it is also a nice zoo there is lot of animals I have never seen in others. It is a nice place for beautiful and romantic trips." - Ravi Kumar, Eluru, 4 days ago Awesome beach destination "Thiruvananthapuram place of sea beaches and fully covered with coconut trees. Trees are not ordinary ones they have seen generations of different family. They are 50 to 60 years old. Shanghumug beach is one of the good beach installed with e-toilet and hawkers are present ground is installed with jhulla for kids. Nicely decorated place all over and people visit the place on vacation with there friends and family. Some of good hotels are there like matha and Indian air force station is near the beach itself and airport is also very near. If you plan to come via flight then you will definitely enjoy the scenario. Please do visit the place and many other places near by are attached to thiruvananthapuram which are beautiful." - Khivendra Attri, Pune, 1 month ago Page 3/14 Every thing you want to know about the city "I recently came back from a trip to Trivandrum and Kanyakumari. The city has a tropical climate and so is hot and humid throughout. The rains can be a dampener if you visit during the monsoon. The roads are relatively clean and there is lot of greenery everywhere. The city is not so modern and sports a traditional look. A lot of shopping places and a vibrant atmosphere prevails. Getting around :- It is a lot easy and the auto drivers generally are helpful, friendly and rates are reasonable. (This is very much different to what I experience daily in Bangalore). But still do ask them and fix a price before you board. The local KSRTC buses though are plentifully available are hard to identify and the destinations are almost always displayed in Malayalam only. Getting In:- Trivandrum Jn and Kochuveli are the 2 main railway stations in the city and trains connect Trivandrum to most parts of India. Lot of state transport and private Volvo buses are available from nearby cities. Trivandrum airport is located close to city (about 20 minutes by car/auto from the city centre) unlike many other cities. Too see:- Kovalam beach, Padmanabhaswamy temple, Zoo, museum, Veli tourist village and shankumugham beach are some of the important places to visit while you are in the city. Most of the attractions are all located well within the city and close to each other, except the Kovalam beach. KTDC has package tours a half a day sight seeing for some 300 per head. But personally I feel it is not required as most attractions are nearby and autos can help you. Tips:- Always, book your hotel in advance if travelling with family and I did a mistake of not doing so. Once I reached there, I could not find accommodation in some good hotels that I had short- listed and then had to settle in a shabby lodge where there was no decent eatery near by. Avoid visiting the city when monsoon is at its peak, the roads gets clogged and is difficult to move around. At the zoo, take the service of the battery operated vehicle at 50 rupees per head, the best way to see around within a short time and the driver cum guide (Subin) was very good and helpful. Do not miss the museum as we find some old artefacts, history of kings, different tribes in Kerala, Kings chariot and so on, but what I liked the most was the model of the famous Guruvayur temple carved in wood. Simply amazing !! The temple has strict dress code and we need to leave almost all our belongings in the cloak room and it is a chaotic process. So be prepared for the same. The best approach would be to plan the temple as a stand alone itinerary and leave all your belongings in your hotel or have Page 4/14 someone in your group retain all your belongings while the rest visit the temple. Food :- During my short stay I enjoyed the food at Hotel Annapoorna, a vegetarian eatery located close to the temple and the East Fort bus stand. I have seen some good reviews about the India coffee house located opposite the railway station, but could not go there owing to lack of time and bad weather. A lot of road side eateries are present, they smell good and tasty, but not sure how hygienic they are and personally I would not risk having any food at such places being a tourist. Overall a nice old clean city with some good attractions and relatively good local people." - Saty, Bangalore, Aug 31, 2014 Thiruvananthapuram - truly the capital of God's own country! "When we booked our flight tickets to Thiruvananthapuram, enroute to Poovar, it was simply because it was the nearest city to which flights were available. We had a day in hand, due to ticket availability problems, and while my husband just wanted to catch up on some much needed sleep, all I wanted to see was the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.