| |
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
the Capital City
Thiru
Anantha Puram retains its past glory of the
capital of a princely state. The capital of
Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) or Syanandoorapuri
is built on hills with wide open spaces, sports
stadia and low-lying paddy fields. Thiruvananthapuram
is linked by flight to Kochi, Chennai (Madras)
and Mumbai (Bombay), international flights are
being operated to Colombo, Maldives and Gulf
countries. The district is also connected by
road and rail with Chennai and Kochi.
Cultural
Institutions
Many
important cultural institutions universities
and libraries are located in the Thiruvananthapuram
city itself. The museum complex consisting of
the art and natural history museums. Art Gallery
and the Zoological and Botanical gardens are
prominent among them. The complex is situated
on a beautifully landscaped 80-acre plot in
the heart of the city.
Kovalam
About
13 Kms. south of Thiruvananthapuram city is
located one of the best bathing bays in the
world - Kovalam, where a sheltered beach and
a shallow sea offer excellent bathing facilities.
The scenery around the place is enchanting.
Even
a casual visitor to the state will not fail
to observe the peculiar ecological patterns
of Kerala as soon as he tours some distance
in the state.
|
Ponmudi
About
56 Kms. north east of Thiruvananthapuram city
is Ponmudi, one of the important hill stations
in Kerala. It has a height of over 900 metres
above sea level. The Tourist Bungalow at Ponmudi
offers quiet and delightful accommodation and
good cuisine.
Neyyar
Dam
Neyyar
Reservoir is a scenic picnic spot, 32 Kms south
east of Thiruvananthapuram city. About nine
sq.Kms. in area the reservoir offers excellent
boating facilities. A wild life sanctuary is
also coming up here. The forests around the
reservoir are the adode of elephants. On the
upper reaches of the Neyyar Reservoir there
are two magnificent waterfalls. A trek of two
Kms. through dense forests, one would reach
Meenmutty water falls and after two Kms. the
Kombaikani water falls.
Aruvikara
Thiruvananthapuram city gets its water supply
from Aruvikkara, 16 Kms. north-east of the city.
The reservoir and garden here are good picnic
spots for visitors. The small temple on the
stream's edge attracts large number of devotees.
Veli
On the drive from Thiruvananthapuram International
airport to Thumba (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre)
is the Veli lagoon
Varkala
The
famous Hindu pilgrim centre, Varkala is 48 Kms.
north of Thiruvananthapuram. The place is noted
for its mineral springs that gush out of the
towering cliffs.
Agasthyaarkudam
About
1869 metres above sea level Agasthyaarkudam
is a prominent peak of the Western Ghats. A
pilgrim centre of the Hindus, tradition says
that the great sage Agastya had his abode in
this peak. The place is also noted for its abundant
Ayurvedic herbs.
Anjuthengu
(Anjengo)
Situated
40 Kms, north of Thiruvananthapuram along the
sea cost, Anjuthengu (Anjengo) is a place of
historic importance. It was here that the first
settlement of the English East India Company
was established in 1864 A.D. According to the
local folk, the limited area where five coconut
palms stood (Anjuthengu - Anjengo) was given
on lease to the company by the then ruling prince
of Travancore for trade purposes. The remains
of the old English Fort which had withstood
many a siege can be seen here even now.
|
|
