Trivandrum the Capital of God's own Country

 

Trivandrum also known as Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala. I chose to write about this city since it is my hometown and I spent most of my holidays there. Both my parents are also from this city and most of my family stays there.

The city takes the name from the Malayalam word Thiruvananthapuram which means ‘The city of Lord Ananta’ the deity of the famous Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the cosmic serpent on who Lord Vishnu reclines on. In literature city is also popularly denoted as Ananthapuri. The city was officially referred as Trivandrum until 1991.

The city was a trading post for spices sandalwood and ivory. It started to flourish under the rule of Marthanda Varma the ruler of Travancore. The city had developed into a significant intellectual and artistic center during this period. The golden age of the city was during the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Maharaja Ayilam Thriunal. Travancore became the most prominent city after defeating the Zamorin of Kozhikode. 

Being one of the fast-growing cities in the state, the capital will be witnessing rigorous development in the coming years. In the past few years, the city has undergone major changes in terms of development emerging as a potential destination for investors. The city is also experiencing a commendable growth in the entertainment, tourism and IT sectors.

 Thiruvananthapuram is a major IT and ITES hub in India. The city contributes around 55% of Kerala's total software exports. Technopark is the largest information-technology park in India in terms of built-up area. Tourism is a significant economic sector. The presence of natural attractions like beaches, backwaters, hills, and plantations and attractions like heritage, history, Ayurveda, medical tourism and knowledge centres attract many tourists. The city experienced a surge of investment in the real estate, infrastructure and retail sectors in 2016–17.

The most famous place to visit in Trivandrum is the Padmanabhaswamy temple built by Marthanda Varma. It is one of the sacred Vishnu temples or the Divya Desams. Divya Desams are the holiest abodes of Lord Vishnu that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars (saints).  The architecture of the temple stands out for its work in stone and bronze. The interiors of the temple are ornamented by paintings and murals. It is widely considered as the world's richest Hindu temple.

 The Napier Museum is a museum of art and history. The museum is grounds to the Trivandrum Zoo which oldest zoos in India. The museum was constructed during the reign of Uthram Tirunal Marthanda Varma. The Napier Museum, a landmark of the city, is noted for its unique ornamentation and architectural style, which is influenced by Indian, Chinese, Kerala and Mughal Schools of Architecture.

The Varkala beach is one of the best beaches to visit in Kerala. It is only beach in Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. The Kovalam beach is also one of the most popular developed beaches found in Trivandrum. Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport is one of the key infrastructure projects.

Trivandrum has the highest population density in Kerala. The population density 4,500/km² but has less population than Bangalore the city I currently live in. Even the cost of living is comparatively less than Bangalore. You would require rupees 132,175 to maintain the same standard of life you can have with rupees 96,000 in Trivandrum.

When we look at climate Trivandrum is the first city which receives rain from the south- west monsoon in June. The city also receives rain from the north- east monsoon in October. The city experience equable climate which not too hot nor too cold since it is a coastal area.

Trivandrum has well developed road transport infrastructure maintained by Thiruvananthapuram roads Development Company Limited (TRDCL) and Kerala PWD. The majority of bus services are conducted by government operators. The majority of bus services are conducted by government operate Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro is a fully elevated metro rail – rapid transit system  in the city. With the aim of pushing e-mobility in the city, Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL) has opened its charging stations at Gandhi Park for the public. 

Trivandrum is a divisional headquarters in the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. The Kochuveli railway terminal is developed to ease congestion on the central station and it acts as a satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central. Thiruvananthapuram Central is the busiest railway station in Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is the first airport in Kerala. It caters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the coast guard for their strategic operations. The airport also caters to the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology which carries out pilot-training activities.