South India · Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Sources: wikimedia
About Thiruvananthapuram
- Coastal
Where it is
Thiruvananthapuram, formerly Trivandrum, is the capital of Kerala, near the southern tip of India on the Laccadive Sea coast, spread over low hills between the sea and the Western Ghats.
History
The city grew around the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, and its name means the city of Lord Ananta, a name of the temple's presiding deity. The rulers of Travancore moved their capital here from Padmanabhapuram in 1795 and made it a centre of learning, music and the arts. When Kerala was formed in 1956, it became the state capital.
People
Malayalam is the main language, and Tamil is the next most widely spoken, reflecting the city's closeness to Tamil Nadu. A city of government offices, universities and research institutes, it has a long tradition of Carnatic music going back to the maharaja-composer Swathi Thirunal.
Known for
- The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
- Kovalam and Shanghumugham beaches
- The Napier Museum and Kuthira Malika palace
- The Attukal Pongala festival
Did you know?
During Attukal Pongala, women cook offerings of sweet rice in pots along the city's streets, in what is often described as the largest gathering of women in the world.
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