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Thiruvananthapuram

About

Kuthira Mallika Palace

Thiruvananthapuram (thih-roo-vuh-nuhn-thuh-poo-ruhm), with a tradition dating back to 1000 BC, lies on a small strip of land covered with coconut and palm trees. Thiruvananthapuram means "City of Lord Ananta" (the serpent on which Lord Padmanabha/Vishnu reclines) in Sanskrit and Malayalam. Historically, 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, organisations and companies. Besides being the political nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and home to several educational institutions, including the University of Kerala, and many science and technology institutions. Some prominent institutions being the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Technopark, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER).

History[edit]

Thiruvananthapuram is one of the oldest cities in India, with periodic references in many Greek and Roman literatures. This city came to the forefront when the Venad Dynasty rose to power in the southern regions, after the Great Partition of the Kerala Empire of Cheras in the 14th century. Though Venad rulers had their capital at Kollam (70 km north of Thiruvananthapuram), Thiruvananthapuram was considered the major trading centre. The formation of Travancore Kingdom in late 17th century proved a turning point for the city. In this time, the Raja dedicated the entire kingdom to Lord Padmanabha, the presiding deity of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, meaning that the royal family was ruling in the name of the lord. The capital was moved to Thiruvananthapuram, and the city expanded around the temple. In the 19th century, the entire administration was brought to Thiruvananthapuram city from the royal headquarters of Sree Padmanabhapuram Fort (50 km from Thiruvananthapuram), which marked completion of first phase of the city.

Travancore was one of the most powerful Indian princely states during the British Raj, with the kingdom becoming the 3rd-richest state among native states. Thiruvananthapuram city, under the royal patronage, grew into a major academic and cultural hub of India with many firsts to its credit. As the power and wealth of the Travancore Kingdom reached its peak during early 20th century, Thiruvananthapuram became a prosperous city. When India attained independence, the Travancore chose to accede to the India Union. After formation of Kerala state in 1957, Trivandrum was retained as the capital city.

Being a capital and administrative city, it remains the hottest political centres in Kerala. A third phase of development came in early 1990s, when the Kerala Government established Technopark, a large information-technology park. The success of Technopark as the largest IT park in South Asia has been a major impetus for growth in city. Today the city is focused on maintaining its status as a major IT/Bio-Technology hub.

Climate[edit]

The city has a tropical climate with little temperature difference between 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 for about 350 mm (14 in) on average. The second rainy season, the north-east monsoon, is equally strong and occurs during the months of October and November. Annual rainfall is not high compared to other districts of Kerala, but it is still a substantial 1,800 mm (71 in). The rainiest months are May, June, July, August, and October, but there are frequent showers in other months too between April and November.

February to May is summer, which is very hot and humid, while June to September is the monsoon season.

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.

When to go[edit]

Ponmudi Hills
  • For travellers who wish to avoid the rain, the best period to visit is from December to March.
  • The best time to visit Trivandrum is between October and February, the perfect time for beach vacations.
  • The festival of Onam which occurs towards the end of August or early September is a good time to soak up the carnival atmosphere. There are usually many cultural programs during the official Onam celebrations lasting 10 days.
  • The Monsoon season starts from June every year and is a time of heavy rains in the area. The Monsoon has become an attraction for tourists seeking to experience it.