Thiruvananthapuram (formerly known as Trivandrum) is the capital (pop. 826,225:1991) of the state of Kerala, India. The city is part of a district, also called Thiruvananthapuram, one of the 14 districts of Kerala.

Table of contents
1 History
2 Transport\\Travel
3 People
4 Tourism
5 Major Establishments, Places
6 External Links

History

Thiruvananthapuram was the capital of the princely state of Travancore from 1745 to 1949. In 1949 it became the capital of Thiru-Kochi formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi. When the state of Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956, Thiruvanathapuram was chosen as the capital of the new state.

Thiruvananthapuram literally translates to the city of Ananthan. The name derives from the main deity of a Hindu temple at the centre of the city. Ananthan is the serpent from Hindu mythology on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu is shown reclining.

Transport\\Travel

Thiruvananthapuram has an international airport, with direct flights from the Middle East, Maldives and Sri Lanka. It is therefore considered as the doorway to the tourism rich state of Kerala.

The central railway station is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, 8 km from the airport. Very well connected and serviced by rail to all major cities in India. Trivandrum is the first major city along second longest train route in the world, Kanyakumari to Jammu.

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 with the big cities like Kochi, Bangalore and Chennai. The city bus stand is located 1 km away at East Fort, near the Padmanabha Swamy Temple.

People

Population - 826,225 (1991)
Density - 1341 per sq. km
Literacy - 78.11%
Sex Ratio - 1037 females per 1000 males
Religion
Hindu : 61.6%
Christian: 19.6%
Islam: 15.1%
Others: 3.7%
Languages : Malayalam, English, Tamil and Hindi.

Tourism

  • Kovalam Beach
  • Neyyar Dam
  • Varkala Beach
  • Ponmudi (Hill station)
  • Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
  • Napier Zoo & Museum
  • Sree Chitra Art Gallery
  • Sanghumukham Beach
  • Kanakakkunnu Palace

Major Establishments, Places

Government Establishments

  • Kerala state Legislative Assembly and Secreteriate.
  • All India Radio Station (AM - 1161MHz & FM - 101.9MHz)
  • Doordarshan Kerala Central TV Station
  • Chitrangali Film Complex

Science & Technology

  • Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
  • Liquid Propulsions Systems Centre (LPSC).
  • Thumba Equitorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS).
  • Government Observatory
  • Central Fisheries Research Centre
  • Science & Technology Museum
  • Priyadarshini Planetarium
  • Srichitra Institute of Medical Sciences
  • Central Tuber Crops Research Institute

Educational Institutions

Trivandrum is a major academic centre. The headquarters of Kerala University is located here.
  • Non-Professional Colleges : 19
  • Professional Colleges :
    • Medical - 5 (Alopathy - 1, Ayurveda - 1, Homeopathy - 2, Dental - 1)
    • Engineering - 8
    • Law - 2
    • Agriculture - 1
    • Teacher's Training - 3
    • Music - 1
  • Schools - 949 (Trivandrum District)

Sports\\Stadiums

  • Chandrashekhar Nair Stadium (Football) - Home ground of SBT
  • Central Stadium
  • University Stadium (Cricket, Track\\Field) - 2 International Cricket matches
  • Jimmy George Sports Complex
  • GV Raja Sports School
  • Kerala Flying Club
  • Golf Links, Kawdiar
  • Trivandrum Tennis Club, Kawdiar

External Links