Located near the southern tip of mainland India, Thiruvananthapuram (formerly and often still known as Trivandrum) is the capital city of Kerala in Southern India. The city is shares the same name with its district, Thiruvananthapuram, which is one of the 14 districts of Kerala. 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.
Thiruvananthapuram is built on hills by the sea shore and sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, Thiruvananthapuram is ranked first in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kerala and is a fascinating destination for holidaymakers.
About
Thiruvananthapuram, with a tradition dating back to 1000BC, lies on a small strip of land with plenty of coconut & palm trees, and it name means "City of Lord Anantha" (the serpent on which Lord Padmanabha/Vishnu reclines) in Sanskrit and Malayalam. It was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory. Thiruvananthapuram is the Largest City in Kerala.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), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Technopark, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER).
Thiruvananthapuram is one of the oldest cities in India, with periodic references in many Greek and Roman literatures. However the city's position came forefront when the Venad Dynasty came into power of Southern regions, after the Great Partition of Kerala Empire of Cheras in 14th century. Though Venad rulers had their capital at Kollam (70 km north of Thiruvananthapuram), the town was well considered as a major trading centre. The rise of new Venad King, Maharaja Marthanada Varma and subsequently formation of Travancore Kingdom in late 17th century proved a turning point for the city. The Raja, after formation of the kingdom by annexing many small states and feudal principalites, dedicated the entire kingdom to Lord Padmanabha, the presiding deity of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and crowned as Emperor, making the royal family to rule in the name of the lord. This resulted in making Thiruvananthapuram as the capital of new kingdom and the city started growing around the temple. In 19th century, the entire administration was brought to Thiruvananthapuram city from the Royal headquarters of Sree Padmanabhapuram Fort (50 km from Thiruvananthapuram city), which marked completion of first phase of Thiruvananthapuram city.
Travancore was one of the most powerful Indian Princely state during British Raj, with the kingdom becoming 3rd most richest state among native states. Thiruvananthapuram city, under the royal patronage grew into a major academic, cultural hub of India, with many firsts to its credit. The Maharajas always cared to keep their capital, one of the most greenest cities in India, which resulted in many praises for the capital. As the power and wealth of Travancore Kingdom reached its peak during early 20th century, Thiruvananthapuram became a major prosperous city. With independence of India, the Travancore chose to ascend into India Union. After formation of Kerala state in 1957, it was decided to retain Thiruvananthapuram as the capital city.
Being a capital and administrative city, it remains to be one of the hottest political center in Kerala. The 3rd phase of the development came in early 1990s, when Kerala Government decided to establish Technopark- a large IT Park. The growth of Technopark as the largest Information Technology park in South Asia, made a major impetus for the growth of city. Today the city is on focus of making it as major IT/Bio-Technology hub.
The arterial road of Thiruvananthapuram is the 'MG Road' or the Mahatma Gandhi Road which lies in the north-south direction and connects almost all important attractions in the city.
The city has a tropical climate and therefore does not experience distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature is 34°C and the mean minimum temperature is 21°C. Humidity is high, and rises to about 90% during the monsoon season.
Thiruvananthapuram is the first city along the path of the south-west monsoon and gets its first showers in early June. However, pre-monsoon showers are common in April and May, accounting to about 35 cm on average. Annual rainfall is not very high compared to other districts of Kerala, but it is still a substantial 180 cm. The rainiest months are May, June, July, August, and October, but there are frequent showers in other months too between April and November. For travelers who wish to avoid the rain, the best period to visit is from December to March.
The winter temperature comes down to about 18°C at some places at high altitudes and summer temperatures can sometimes go as high as 35°C.
Talk
The native language of Kerala is Malayalam, which is a Dravidian language like Tamil and Kannada. Most educated locals are also able to communicate in Hindi and English. The people are generally very helpful and friendly but do keep an eye out for people trying to take you for a ride (not common, but it pays to be careful). Tamil is generally understood, though people may not be too fluent in the language.
How to Reach
Trivandrum Central railway station, located at Thampanoor, is a major Indian railway station, third largest in South India after Chennai and Shornur jn. The station being a terminus, almost all trains on west coast and bound to Kerala start & end their journey here. It is very well connected and serviced by rail to all major cities in India. Thiruvananthapuram is the first major city along the second longest train route in the world, Kanyakumari to Jammu. Recently several trains have shifted its service point to Kochuveli Railway Station, to avoid congestion at Central Railway station. Kochuveli Railway Station is nearest to International Airport. Check at Railway Enquiry, before you proceed.
The Central station is itself is a heritage complex built by Travancore Maharaja as part of Travancore Railways. The railway station is the only such to be built completely in stone without any concrete or steel structure. The station is highly modernized with all premium facilities. There are several good retiring rooms, a large air-conditioned waiting room, first class lounge, bookstores, shopping arcade and medical center in it.
The long distance bus station is located next door to the railway station. Buses ply to all major towns and villages in the state as well as to big cities like Cochin, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Coimbatore,Tirunelveli and Chennai. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operates 6 class of services, connecting to southern Tamil-Nadu cities/town as well as all other parts of Kerala. KSRTC operates premium luxury Garuda services to Bangalore and Coimbatore. Karnataka STC also operates two class of premium services; Rajahamsa (non A/c Executive class) and Airavat (A/C Sleeper Class) from Bangalore and Mysore to the city. Likewise Tamil Nadu SETC also operates 3 class of services from numerous Tamil Nadu cities, particularly southern side. In addition, private national players like Sharma, Kallada, GTC, Raj National Express also operates premium services to other South Indian cities and Mumbai.
If you are having trouble getting a bus ticket to a destination in Tamil Nadu, it may be worth while travelling to Nagercoil and then taking a bus to your destination from there.
Thiruvananthapuram is well connected to other cities like Kochi (230 km), Kozhikode (420 km), Chennai (780 km), Bangalore(791 km), Coimbatore(400 km) by road.
Get around
The local bus service system is the cheapest way to get around Thiruvananthapuram. There are city buses run by government(KSRTC) and private companies. Most of these are very crowded especially during peak hours. Route descriptions on the buses are mainly in Malayalam. Route numbers are displayed. Pick pocketing is not very common. Women of foreign origin can some times be the subject of verbal harassment. The government city buses are painted red with an yellow patch, and the private city buses are blue in colour. Fast passenger buses run by KSRTC are also painted blue and is named "Ananthapuri Fast". The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad. The central city bus terminal is located at East Fort(Kizhakkekotta), near the Padmanabha Swamy temple. The Central and Inter State bus station is located 1 km away at Thampanoor.KSRTC operates AC Volvo services connecting various important places. If you have a little time to spent you can try the new mode of transportaion. Recently KSRTC has launched AC buses also for local transportation. you can take these buses for a city tour in AC comfort at about Rs 40. minimum fare is Rs 10/-.Buses are painted in an orange colour.
Autorickshaws (or simply Autos) are a cheap way of travelling between attractions. It is always possible to get an auto rickshaw from a bus stand, railway station or special auto rickshaw stand. All the legally licensed city auto-rikshaws should possess fare meters, and the fare is calculated by the taximeter. So, make sure that the driver turns on the meter before the start of the journey. Most auto drivers tend to charge more from foreigners, this is illegal. The driver may quote a price first, but just insist that he uses the meter. The minimum charge for the autorickshaw is ₨.15 and the running charge per km is Rs.7. The charge for waiting for over 10 min is Rs 5 for every 15 min, subject to a maximum of Rs 200 per day. There are pre-paid autorickshaw counters available near the airport and the railway station. Complaints related to the autorickshaws in Trivandrum can be made to RTO Trivandrum, ☎+91 471 2469223. Online complaints are also accepted in the traffic police website [1].
Taxis are convenient and cheap, especially if you travel in groups. Taxis can be hired not only for short distances, but also for a few days at a stretch. Unlike other metros, Thiruvanathapuram still has only Indian Ambassadors as taxi cabs. Being administrative city, almost all public cabs are Ambassadors, which is a heritage car to take a ride. However if you wish for modern cars, you can get from your hotel on request.
When you hire the taxi with a driver over a few days, a minimum charge is usually paid which covers the hiring charge for the car, the driver's fees and a certain distance. If the car covers more than that distance, additional charges are levied according to the extra distance covered as per kilometre. Most of the drivers expect to be paid for their meals during the day. If staying overnight, this will include the hotel charges as well.
The present taxi charges in the city are as follows : minimum charge – Rs.65; running charge per km – Rs.7.50; and charge for waiting – Rs.25 per hour, subject to a maximum of Rs.300 per day.
There are many car rental companies offering cars with drivers and very few, hard to find "self drive". Many of them are unreasonably expensive by local standards. Ask someone with the local know how before you rent a car.
You can easily visit Thiruvananthapuram through Car. There are many car rental companies available which Provide good services.
Scooters and motorcycles are the favoured means of personal transport on the roads. Renting or buying the motorcycle is not for the faint hearted. The mix of fast and slow traffic makes it especially dangerous. Like all the Indian cities, lane discipline is not well followed.
There are companies arranging tours on Enfield Bullet motorcycles out of Thiruvananthapuram . Most of the locals zip around in modern motorcycles like the Hero Honda,Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki or Bajaj.
Before 10 years, cycles were a major mode of transportation used by the residents. Now, the use of cycles are relatively very low. The tourists also prefer little cycling because of the hilly shape of the city. Moreover, the absence of cycling lanes and hot weather will make the day exhausting.
However, for hard-hearters cycles are available on rent with some companies.
Many places of attractions within the city are nearby, so you could walk between them. Crossing roads often involves wading across heavy traffic during peak hours. The zebra lanes are used by the locals for road crossing only in major junctions. Other than the major junctions, do not expect the vehicles to stop for you in the zebra lines. Try your best to move in a predictable straight line, so vehicles can weave around you. (Better yet, latch onto a group of locals and cross in their shadow.)
See
Thiruvananthapuram is a historic city, dotted with many historical structures, parks, museums, tourist centers and palaces. Its also famous for its distinctive greenery, present all over, a rare site in any bustling Indian city.
Beware of presence of large number of professional touts at the entrance of temple, who attempt to forcibly sell puja plates with flowers, incense, oil lamps to first timers, tourists etc. Likewise at exit gates, touts try to hard sell pictures, lamps, shells by claiming it to holy and sacred. Do not be carried away by claims and politely avoid them.
The recent supreme court order has made the surroundings and the temple more secure with round the clock vigil.
Usually there are cultural programs at VJT Hall which may be open to the public. Continue along MG road towards the Secretariat. The area around the secretariat is known locally as Statue, due to a few neglected statues of important figures. There are sometimes political protests or demonstrations along this place. Sample the food from some of the local restaurants. SMS Institute on a side road near Secretariat sells authentic Kerala handicrafts and gift items. Prices start from Rs.25 to a few thousands. Continue along the MG road. There are many local book shops including Paico, Modern Book House and Prabhat book store. The Ayurveda college , which teaches the traditional ayurvedic medicine will be on the right side. Opposite this, there is another handicraft store.Walk along the MG road and you will reach the junction with traffic signals known as the Over bridge locally. There are a few movie theatres nearby.
The railway station and Bus station are towards the left, about half a mile. If you continue straight, you will eventually reach Pazhavangadi. You will see the remains of a fort (well hidden) on the right side (known as Kottakakam/East fort). The famous Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple is nearby, complete with a temple lake (Padmatheertham). The architecture of the temple is more in line with Tamil temples as compared to other Kerala temples. On the left is Chaalai Bazaar. This is a busy congested road teeming with all kinds of shops.
Opportunities for foreigners to work in Kerala used to be very limited. The dramatic advances in the information technology sector have probably changed this. But the companies still prefer to use the locally available and hence more economically viable manpower.
To work in India, you need employment visa. The prospective employer has to send a letter providing information about your qualification to the home ministry in India.
Buy
Haggling is quite acceptable and very much needed if you buy anything from the vendors who will pester you during your stay at any of the nearby beaches.
Try in the Khadhi handicraft shop like Kairali in Statue, Eastfort, Ayurveda College Junction. White cidar/white wood/sandal/rosewood statues are available at reasonable prices.
When you come to cities like this in India, do not pack too many clothes. You can buy them cheap at the local shops. There are many shops around the east fort and over-bridge areas.
Eat
There are plenty of restaurants in Thiruvananthapuram serving South Indian food. There are also quite a few eating places serving other cuisines, such as North Indian, Chinese and American food. Please note that the word 'hotel' is used for restaurants.
Non vegetarian Kerala cuisine is served in -
Vegetarian options include:
Most of the budget restaurants tend to be crowded and noisy as the aim is a rapid turnover and not relaxed dining. It might be better to use the take away facilities and eat at a local park.
Drink
Traditional drinks include Karikku(tender coconut water) and Sambharam (buttermilk with salt, ginger and green chilly). Karikku can be bought mostly from the streetside vendors while Sambharam can be bought from the ubiquitous Milma outlets. The Bakery Junction area has several fresh juice vendors, serving inspirted mocktails like Sharjah and Tsunami. "Sharjah" is very popular and available in various juice shops all over trivandrum.
Sleep
Unless you are in Trivandrum on a business trip, it may be better to base yourself in Kovalam and go to the city as a day trip. The accommodation in Kovalam tends to be more expensive, but many of the budget options can be found off Tivandrum-Bakery-Palayam Rd, near the station.
Stay safe
Female tourists should be wary of hooligans, especially in New Year parties.
Only eat hot food and drink only boiled or good bottled water. Take water purification tablets with you. Water from corporation supplied lines are generally safe, but to be on the safer side go for purified forms.
If you are visiting during the summers (April–May) temperarures might be higher and you might want to take some preparations against it. Evenings are best time to stroll. City sleeps early so you can roam about until maximum 10PM inside the city (really the limit). Most shops close by that time. If you are staying somewhere outside the centre transport options get harder to find and more expensive later at night.
If you need injections or blood tests, try to provide your own needle, bringing a few with your first aid kit. Private hospitals generally provide good service.
Connect
The dialling code for Trivandrm is 471. When calling from overseas, dial +91 471 XXXX XXX. If you have a non-working phone number with only 6 digits try to add a "2" in front of it.
If you don’t have an Indian phone number then get a pre-paid calling card if you planning on using your phone frequently. By government regulation you need a photocopy of your passport (visa and the main photo ID-page) and a color photo to be able to buy a pre-paid card. Pre-paid cards are sold in most shops that sell mobile telephones.
'Telephone booths' or public telephones are widely available usually painted with the letters PCO (Public Call office, local calls), STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialing) and ISD (International Subscriber Dialing). All booths have electronic metering and you pay what's displayed on the meter.
There are many internet cafes around Trivandrum. They offer cheap, tolerably fast internet access to the public.
Cope
There is a tourist information booth open on Thiruvananthapuram station. Helping with train times and local attractions mainly, the guy who works there is usually happy to answer anything else. It is a physical booth on the platform near the middle and the entrance closest to the booking office. It's marked with a green sign, but easily missed.
Trivandrum has world class medical facilities with very competitive rates. This attracts "health tourists" from other states and even other countries. If you are in need of medical care, try to go to one of the reputed private hospitals listed below.
Phone: +91 471 2447575.
ATMs are widely available in Trivandrum, mainly along with branches of banks. A number of them are present along the MG road.
Most of the major Banks in India have a branch in Trivandrum and most of these are around the MG road.
Sunshades and prescription glasses in stylish frames are much cheaper in India as compared to the western world.
Go next
Other places in Tamil Nadu state like Kuttalam water falls, Madurai, Palani and Thanjavoor
If booking train tickets out from Thiruvananthapuram, the reservation office is upstairs in the main railway station, and follows an odd ticketing system. Tickets are available from a small machine with a red button just near the first counter on your right after you walk in. Although it is usually covered by people. There is unfortunately no tourist window at this station, however tourist class can always still be booked! There is another Train reservation counter in the ground floor of the big LIC(Life Insurance Corporation) building at Pattom. Crowds are thinner here.
Reproduced from Wikipedia
