Kerala Diaries: Trivandrum.

Trivandrum is the vivid capital city of Kerala, also known as Thiruvananthapuram. Trivandrum owes its name to the Lord Vishnu, the guardian deity of the city. The Maharaja of Travancore till date pays homage at the Padmanabhan Swamy Temple that enshrines the image of Lord Vishnu, reclining under the hood of "Anantha" the great serpent.

The Padmanabhaswami Temple is one of the famous and richest temples of India. The temple holds the prestige of being counted among 108 holiest abodes of Lord Vishnu, Divya Desams. A spectacular architecture and religious environment surrounds the temple. Most of all Kerala temples have some clothing regulations to be followed by the tourists. No trousers should be worn by men or women. Men have to wrap pancha/mundi and women have to wear sari/long skirt.

This tourist city boasts plenty of natural beaches in and around. The picturesque Kovalam beach is one among the best beaches in the country. Located at around 15 Kms from the city is a tourist attraction that draws innumerable visitors. The light house beach, Hawah Beach and the Samudra beach are all famous near the beach. The green palm trees surrounding the beach add a fine backdrop to the setting. People say sunrise and sunset near this beach is a wonderful experience, having seen the sunset I would totally buy it!


The city has a rich tradition of nurturing art and culture since ancient times. There are palaces, many museums and art galleries. The Puthen Maliga Palace museum is known for unique collection mannequins, paintings, mirrors, chandeliers, furniture and other items. Kuthiramalika Palace, built inside Puthen Maliga Palace is fine example of architectural excellence. The Gopuram of renowned Padmabhaswamy temple can be viewed from here. There are other places to visit such as Napier Museum, Priyadarshini planetarium.

The Meenmutti and Kombaikani waterfalls are nice, along with the beautiful Neyyar Dam. Anchuthengu Fort is a prominent landmark of Kovalam. Constructed in the 17th century, Anchuthengu Fort is a brilliant symbolization of the architectural elegance of the British rulers.

Fact that Kanyakumari happens to be just 87Km from the city, the Kerala tour can be extended till Tamil Nadu. Kanyakumari happens to be the place where the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal meet. The divine temple of Kanyakumari, memorials of Mahatma Gandhi and Vivekananda, Government museum and Vattakottai Fort are some of the places worth visiting in the city.

A tip out of experience: It’s better to avoid Trivandrum in summer, the hot sun spares none! We were fortunate as the climate cooled down with good rains during our visit, yet March-May is not the time to plan a trip here.