Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Kerala. 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", it is classified as a Tier-II city by the Government of India.

Thiruvananthapuram was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory. The city was ruled by the Ays and was captured by the rulers of Venad in tenth century A.D. In 1729, Marthanda Varma founded the princely state of Thiruvithamkoor and made Thiruvananthapuram the capital in 1745. It remained as a princely state ruled by Travancore under the loose governance of the British before joining the Indian Union in 1948.

With nearly 80% of the state's software exports, Thiruvananthapuram is a major IT hub with the Technopark and the Technocity. It is an academic and research focal point in the country with an array of institutions like Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, National Institute For Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Centre for Development Studies, Kerala Technical University, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Regional Cancer Centre and the National Centre for Earth Science Studies.

Being India's largest city in the deep south, it is strategically prominent and has the Southern Air Command headquarters of the Indian Air Force, the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station and the upcoming Vizhinjam International Deepwater Motherport

Thiruvananthapuram is a major tourist centre, known for the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the famous beaches of Kovalam and Varkala, the backwaters of Poovar and Anchuthengu and its Western Ghats tracts of Ponmudi and the Agastyamala.

It is consistently ranked among the best cities to live in Kerala as well as India.

Etymology

The city gets its name from the Malayalam language word thiru-anantha-puram IPA: [t̪iruʋənən̪t̪əpurəm] , meaning "The City of Lord Ananta", referring to the deity of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple located in the city. Thiruvananthapuram is also known in literature and popular reference as Ananthapuri derived from the Sanskrit word Syanandurapuri, meaning "The City of Bliss" in Carnatic kirtanas composed by Swathi Thirunal, erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore. The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum until 1991, when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram.

History

Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient region with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE. The city was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory. The early rulers of the city were the Ays and after their fall in the 10th century, the city was captured by the rulers of Venad.

In 1729, Marthanda Varma founded the princely state of Thiruvithamkoor and Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital in 1745 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Tamil Nadu. In the mid-19th century, the city was under the reign of Swathi Thirunal and Ayilyam Thirunal. An observatory was established in 1837 with the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College established in 1873. Several colleges were established by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924). Sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904, was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. Though the city was never under direct control of the British Empire, it featured in the Indian independence movement with a meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Pattabhi Sitaramaiah held here in 1938.

After Indian Independence in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union and the first ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Travancore-Cochin, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with the Kingdom of Cochin. The king of Travancore, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1 July 1949 until 31 October 1956. When the state of Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became its capital.

Geography and climate

Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills and is located at 8°30′N 76°54′E / 8.5°N 76.9°E / 8.5; 76.9 on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India. The city is bounded by Laccadive Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. The city covers an area of 214.86 km2 (82.96 sq mi) and the average elevation is 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea level. The Geological Survey of India has classified Thiruvananthapuram as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorised it in the Seismic III Zone. Karamana and Killi rivers, Vellayani and Akkulam lakes are the main water bodies in the city.

The city has a climate that borders between a tropical savanna climate and a tropical monsoon climate. The humidity is high and is the highest during the monsoon season. Thiruvananthapuram gets majority of the rain from the south-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. It also gets rain from the receding north-east monsoons in October. The lowest temperature in the city core recorded during winter was 16.4 °C on, and the highest temperature recorded in summer is 38.0 °C.

Tourism

Thiruvananthapuram is a popular destination for tourists. Kovalam is a popular beach town located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the city. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple circled by the East Fort is amongst the richest temples in India. Other places of interest include Sanghumukham Beach, Napier museum and Zoo, Agasthyarkoodam peak, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Neyyar Dam, Kuthira Malika palace, Ponmudi, Poovar, Varkala Cliffs and Edava lake.

Transport

The NH 544 connects the city with Salem and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The Main Central Road is an arterial road in the city and is designated as State Highway 1.

There are five railway stations in the city namely, the Thiruvananthapuram Central , Thiruvananthapuram Pettah, Kochuveli, Veli and Nemom. Thiruvananthapuram Central is the major railway station serving the city. It falls under the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways and is the headquarter of the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Division.

Thiruvananthapuram is served by the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Being one of the gateways to the state, it has direct connectivity to the all the major cities in India as well as Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, Maldives and Sri Lanka. The airport is just 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) from the city centre. It also has the headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force.

Culture

The rulers of erstwhile Travancore took an active interest in the development of arts. Thiruvananthapuram has produced artists like Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, Irayimman Thampi and Raja Ravi Varma.

Diplomatic Missions

Trivandrum at present has consulates of the following countries

• Germany
• Maldives
• Russia
• Sri Lanka
• United Arab Emirates