Near the southern tip of mainland India, Thiruvananthapuram (Malayalam: തിരുവനന്തപുരം Tiruvanantapuraṁ), formerly and often still known as Trivandrum, is the capital city of Kerala in Southern India. It is the headquarters of the district with the same name, which is one of the 14 districts of Kerala.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
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.
Local bus services are the cheapest way to get around Thiruvananthapuram. There are city buses run by government (KSRTC) and private companies. Most of these are very crowded during peak hours. Route descriptions on the buses are mainly in Malayalam. Route numbers are displayed. Pick pocketing is not very common. The government city buses are painted red with a yellow patch, and the private city buses are blue. Fast passenger buses run by KSRTC are also painted blue and are named Ananthapuri Fast. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots, namely the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad.
Thiruvananthapuram is a historical city, dotted with many historical structures, parks, museums, tourist centers and palaces. It's also famous for its distinctive greenery, present all over, a rare site in any bustling Indian city. Most ticketed museums are closed on Mondays, so do check online/by phone before visiting. Visit the official website of Kerala Tourism for more details. Attingal Palace. The headquarters of Travancore Queens who ruled the small province of Attingal. The large palace also houses one of the royal family temples. Much of the palace is off-limits to public, however its durbar hall and public areas are open to the public. Kerala Art College.
1 Priyadarshini Space Planetarium. One of the largest planetaria in India and rated as one of the best horizontal planetaria of the world. It has a collection of astronomical science objects from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Two major shows regarding various secrets of universe are done daily. It has a good Sky Theatre, a large conference hall and is the location of regular space-related programmes. Stroll around the town during the dusk time when the city comes to life.
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 - Azad Restaurant/Hotel. Which has branches in a few places in Thiruvananthapuram including Statue Junction, Near overbridge and Vazhuthacaud. Balan's Tattukada. Kaithamukku Buhari Hotel. Atakulangara, Near East Fort. Try the puttu and mutton curry. Not for the faint hearted as the food is spicy. Cafe Coffee Day.
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 inspired mocktails like Sharjah and Tsunami. "Sharjah" is very popular and available in various juice shops all over trivandrum. Hotel-attached restaurant/bar on a street running north, slightly east of the train station Rooftop restaurant/bar on the western side of MG Rd, above Club Purple, slightly north of the intersection with the road running west from the station.
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) temperatures 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.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Thiruvananthapuram typically sees ~28°C daytime highs and 26 rainy days.
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