THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
the capital city
Thiru
Anantha Puram retains its past glory of the capital of a
princely state. The capital of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
(Trivandrum) or Syanandoorapuri is built on hills with wide
open spaces, sports stadia and low-lying paddy fields. Thiruvananthapuram
is linked by flight to Kochi, Chennai (Madras) and Mumbai
(Bombay), international flights are being operated to Colombo,
Maldives and Gulf countries. The district is also connected
by road and rail with Chennai and Kochi.
Cultural
Institutions
Many
important cultural institutions universities and libraries
are located in the Thiruvananthapuram city itself. The
museum complex consisting of the art and natural history
museums. Art Gallery and the Zoological and Botanical
gardens are prominent among them. The complex is situated
on a beautifully landscaped 80-acre plot in the heart
of the city.
About
13 Kms. south of Thiruvananthapuram city is located one
of the best bathing bays in the world - Kovalam, where
a sheltered beach and a shallow sea offer excellent bathing
facilities. The scenery around the place is enchanting.
Even
a casual visitor to the state will not fail to observe
the peculiar ecological patterns of Kerala as soon as
he tours some distance in the state.
Ponmudi
About
56 Kms. north east of Thiruvananthapuram city is Ponmudi,
one of the important hill stations in Kerala. It has a
height of over 900 metres above sea level. The Tourist
Bungalow at Ponmudi offers quiet and delightful accommodation
and good cuisine.
Neyyar
Dam
Neyyar
Reservoir is a scenic picnic spot, 32 Kms south east of
Thiruvananthapuram city. About nine sq.Kms. in area the
reservoir offers excellent boating facilities. A wild
life sanctuary is also coming up here. The forests around
the reservoir are the adode of elephants. On the upper
reaches of the Neyyar Reservoir there are two magnificent
waterfalls. A trek of two Kms. through dense forests,
one would reach Meenmutty water falls and after two Kms.
the Kombaikani water falls.
Aruvikara
Thiruvananthapuram city gets its water supply from Aruvikkara,
16 Kms. north-east of the city. The reservoir and garden
here are good picnic spots for visitors. The small temple
on the stream's edge attracts large number of devotees.
Veli
On the drive from Thiruvananthapuram International airport
to Thumba (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre) is the Veli lagoon
The
famous Hindu pilgrim centre, Varkala is 48 Kms. north
of Thiruvananthapuram. The place is noted for its mineral
springs that gush out of the towering cliffs.
Agasthyaarkudam
About 1869 metres above sea level Agasthyaarkudam is a
prominent peak of the Western Ghats. A pilgrim centre
of the Hindus, tradition says that the great sage Agastya
had his abode in this peak. The place is also noted for
its abundant Ayurvedic herbs.
Situated 40 Kms, north of Thiruvananthapuram along the
sea cost, Anjuthengu (Anjengo) is a place of historic
importance. It was here that the first settlement of the
English East India Company was established in 1864 A.D.
According to the local folk, the limited area where five
coconut palms stood (Anjuthengu - Anjengo) was given on
lease to the company by the then ruling prince of Travancore
for trade purposes. The remains of the old English Fort
which had withstood many a siege can be seen here even
now.
