Thiruvananthapuram

            Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state 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 has a population of more than one million. Apart from being the IT hub of the state with over 80% of the state's software exports, Thiruvananthapuram ranks first in the number of international tourists in Kerala.Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala and hence the state legislative assembly and Secretariat are located here.

                                                   Thiruvananthapuram appears as a laid back and quiet city to a casual observer. However there are considerable cultural activities in the city. The cultural activities are more during the festival season of Onam in August/September, and during the tourist season later in the year. The state government organises the tourism week celebrations every year during the Onam with cultural events conducted at various centres in the city. The other major events include the annual flower show, the Attukal Pongala, the Aaraat of Padmanabha Swamy Temple, the Beemapally Uroos, Vettucaud Perunaal etc.
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Padmanabhaswamy temple

                         
The Padmanabhaswamy temple, also known as the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple  is a famous Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu, located inside the Fort in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The temple is one of the 108 divya desam, the holiest abodes of Lord Vishnu. The main deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture. This is an ancient temple and the city of Thiruvananthapuram derives its name from the name of the presiding deity enshrined in the temple.Lord Shripadmanabhaswamy is known as Ananthapadmanabhan.Ananthapadmanabhan was the commander in chief of Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma.Present Chempil Arayan Ananthapadmanabhan Valiya Arayan.This history neglected on communal grounds.On this month Government had found tresures including gold,silver,diamonds,precious stone etc from  Padmanabhaswamy temple. It has been estimated that these all worth about 1 lakh crore (million ) Indian rupees.As a result the security of the temple has been tightened.

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Kowdiar Palace

 Kowdiar Palace  in Trivandrum, was built in 1915 by Sree Moolam Thirunal and was gifted to Sethu Parvati Bayi.It is the official residence of the Travancore Royal Family. Kowdiar Palace's architectural work is famous and has over 150 rooms. The entry to this famous palace, which has great historical importance is restricted.
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Napier Museum

 The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram.The museum was established in 1855. In 1874, the old Museum Building was demolished and foundation for the new building was laid. The new building was named after Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras from 1866-1872.The architectural masterpiece was designed by Robert Chisholm, the consulting Architect of the Madras Government and the construction was completed in 1880. Napier Museum is a landmark in the city with its unique ornamentation and architectural style with gothic roof and minarets. The Indo-Saracenic structure also boasts a natural air conditioning system.

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Kovalam Beach

Kovalam is a suburb and a beach town on the Arabian Sea in Thiruvananthapuram city.t is located around 13 km from the Central business district.Kovalam was brought to the public eye by the Maharaja of Travancore.  The European guests of the then Travancore kingdom discovered the potentiality of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the 1930s. However, Kovalam shot into limelight in the early seventies with arrivals of the masses of hippies. This exodus started the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most important tourist destinations in all India.There are a large number of beach resorts in and around Kovalam. The sea port of Vizhinjam is about 3 km away and famous for its special varieties of fish, old Hindu temples, big churches and a mosque. The Proposed International Trans shipment Terminal at Vizhinjam is also close to Kovalam.

Kovalam was among the most prominent tourist spots in India during the hippy era. It still has a high status among tourists, who arrive mostly from Europe and Israel. Kovalam is finding a new significance in the light of several Ayurvedic salons, and recuperation and regeneration resorts which provide a wide variety of Ayurvedic treatments for tourists.

Related links
http://www.thiruvananthapuram.net/
http://trivandrum.gov.in/-The official site

Also visit places of  :

Thiruvananthapuram    Kollam       Alappuzha      Pathanamthitta     Kottayam
 
   Idukki    Ernakulam      Thrissur   Palakkad       Malappuram