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Thiruvananthapuram
also known as Trivandrum, is the capital of Kerala and the
headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located
on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland.
Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city
of India", the city is characterized by its undulating
terrain of low coastal hills and busy commercial alleys. With
almost 745,000 inhabitants per the 2001 census, it is the
largest and most populous city in Kerala; the wider urban
agglomeration having a population of about one million.
The
city is the state capital and houses many central and state
government offices, organizations and companies. Apart from
being the political nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major
academic hub and is home to several educational institutions
including the University of Kerala, and to many science and
technology institutions, the most prominent being the Vikram
Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Technopark and IIST.
The best time to go to Trivandrum is from October to January.
Beach Holidays are best during this time. February to May
is Summer and June to September is the monsoon season. The
second rainy season, the North-East monsoon, is equally strong
and occurs during the months of October and November.
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Sri
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
This renowned temple is in the heart of the city. Only Hindus
are allowed inside the temple. Built in the Dravidian style
with a magnificent seven-tiered tower, it is an eye-catching
landmark of the city. |
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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.
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.
The
Zoological Park: One of the first zoos in India,
it is located in a well-planned botanical garden.
The Kanakakunnu Palace. Venue for many cultural
meets and exhibitions.
Science and Technology Museum : There is
a Planetarium within the campus. There are several galleries
on Electrical Engineering, Biomedical, Mechanical Engineering,
etc.
Observatory
Located at the highest point in the city, near the Museum
complex 60 metres above sea level, one can have a bird's eye
view of the city from here.
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Secretariat
Built in the Roman architectural style, this is the centre
of government administration in Kerala and houses the offices
of ministers and the bureaucracy. |
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Attukal
Bhagavathy Temple is a popular temple that belongs
to the prehistoric era. The temple is considered as one of
the most famous ancient temples in the whole of south India.
Temple is more popularly known as the Sabarimala of the Women.
The reason is that most of the devotees are women in this
temple. The Pongala Mahotsavam is the most important festival
of temple. Pongala festival has found a place in the Guinness
Book of World Records for the highest attendance of women. |
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Palayam
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Palayam
Juma Masjid : The Palayam Mosque is the most important
mosque in Thiruvananthapuram. Situated at Palayam, the mosque
has a temple and a Christian church as its neighbours, establishing
the communal harmony of Keralites. P K Ahmed Kutty Moulavi,
imam of the Palayam mosque, opened the doors of the mosque
for women for the first time in south Kerala. More than 250
women attend the prayers at the Palayam Mosque on ordinary
days, whereas on Fridays their numbers increase to around
1,000. The imam is of the opinion that there is nothing unIslamic
in women offering prayers in mosques. |
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Beemapalli
Beemapalli, 5 km south-west of Thiruvananthapuram, is an important
Muslim pilgrim centre. The Beemappalli Dargah Shareef is dedicated
to Beema Beevi, a pious Muslim lady believed to have possessed
divine powers. She came to Kerala from Arabia and settled down
at this place with her son Mahin Abubacker. Beema Beevi and
her son are are laid to rest here. The mosque is visited by
devotees of all religions. The Chandanakudam Mahotsavam or Beemapalli
Uroos is one of the most colourful Muslim festivals in Thiruvananthapuram. |
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