Places of Attraction in Thiruvananthapuram

Thiru-v-anantha-puram is a three sylable name meaning the abode of the sacred snake god "Anantha". Lord Vishnu of the ancient Indian mytholgy rests on this huge serpent. This city and district are also popularly known by its anglicised name Trivandrum.

hiruvananthapuram and its famous beaches are one of the top tourist destination of Tourists in Inida. It is the capital city of Kerala, the "God's own Country". Thiruvananthapuram is well connected by air, rail and road. There are air links to almost all the countries in the Gulf, besides being well connected to the rest of India. South East Asia is connected through a daily air-link to Singapore.

Thiruvananthapuram is a Railway Division office and an important Railway Station. There are daily trains to Delhi, Bombay, Chennai, and Bangalore and local train services to all points in Kerala.

Shree Padhmanabhaswamy temple

Shree Padhmanabhaswamy temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is held sacred by the Hindus from antiquity. The temple has a large complex with a huge gopuram. It has a tank beside it for ritual bathing.

Kovalam

Kovalam is 12kms to the south of Thiruvananthapuram and is one of the finest beaches in India. It has been developed into an integrated seaside resort. The beach complex has many hotels, cottages, yoga centres etc. Vizhinjam About 2kms south of Kovalam, it is believed to be an ancient port. The Dutch and Portugese had commercial establishments here. It is being developed as a modern fishing harbour. Ponmudi A pleasant resort at an elevation of 912m above sea level. It is 61 kms from Thiruvananthapuram and connected by road. There are many tree and rubber estates around the hills. Veli lagoon The boat club attracts tourists by providing facilities for pedal boating , row boating , swimming on the placid waters of the veli lake.

The Kanakakunnu Palace This palace in the heart of Trivandrum city is one of the most beautiful buildings. The palace and its sprawling grounds are today the venue for many cultural meets. The Museum building is an architectural splendour. The napier museum, the natural history museum, the reptile house and the Shri Chitra Art Gallery are in the same complex amidst a well laid out garden and park. The Science and Technology museum, the Government Secretariat, the Kowdiar palace, the Senate house, are some of the other tourist attractions in the city.

Places easily accessible from Trivandrum

Kanyakumari , the land's end of India is only 87kms from Trivandrum. Also known as Cape Comorin, this beautiful spot is in the neighbouring Tamilnadu state.

Varkala is a pilgrim centre for the devotees of Sree Narayana Guru, one of the patron saints of Kerala, whose motto was "One God, One Religion, One Caste". It is only 51kms from Trivandrum by road and also boasts of one of the best beaches in the State.

Cochin Carnival Festival

The Cochin Carnival Festival dates back to the time of the Portuguese colonial era. It was actually the Portuguese New Year that was celebrated and then with the passage of time the entire city started to participate and enjoy the merry making.

Starting since Solidarity Day on December 22, it is a ten-day long festival and is usually ended by a flag-off in dignified silence to pay tribute to the brave martyrs who died while fighting for their motherland. It was revived in 1984, and has now gained immense popularity and all the activities organized during the Carnival are centred around its five main slogans, namely, Participation, Peace, Progress, Adventure and Environment. Besides the adventure sports like Beach Bike Race and Sea Swimming, there are Beach Football, Beach Volleyball, Shuttle Badminton and Ball Badminton Tournaments are organized during the course of the festival. The Cochin Carnival Festival has gone through a lot of evolution and now it has become an occasion for all to enjoy the gaiety of the festivities. The Carnival is unique and it is indeed a pleasure for the youth. There are the special competitions and games that are held and many people participate in them. The city too is dressed up in all its splendor and bears a gay look. There are the special illuminations and during this time the Fort Kochi bears the festive look of the season.
Color white simply dominates the concluding 10 days of December, during the Kochi Carnival. All establishments in the city don white paper buntings. The available space on the streets host impromptu competitions and multi-faceted celebrations. Kalam Vara (floor drawing), tug-of-war, bicycle race, swimming in the sea, beach volleyball are some of the programs that take place during the Cochin Carnival at Fort Kochi. The festivities and revelries continue till midnight of December 31st with fireworks marking the grand finale.