117-517: The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram , the capital of Kerala , India . It occupies 55 acres (22 ha) of woodland, lakes, and lawns. Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in India. Similarly the Museum and Botanical Gardens are also one of the oldest of their kind in the country. Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma (1816–1846), the ruler of Travancore during 1830–1846,
234-590: A commissioner of police . The Thiruvananthapuram city police is a division of the Kerala Police , and the administrative control lies with the Kerala Home Ministry . Thiruvananthapuram city police is the largest police division in Kerala, and it consists of four subdivisional offices and 24 police stations and a sanctioned strength of 3,500 police personnel. The Central Prison is the oldest prison in Kerala and
351-511: A Zoo and a park were started in 1859. The zoo was originally built with the typical iron-barred cages prevalent at the time, and was designed for recreational purposes, but with increased loss of forest and wildlife due to human development, the goal of the Zoo has changed from recreation to conservation. A modernization project started in 1995, aims to gradually replace the old enclosures with spacious naturalistic enclosures. The state government of Kerala
468-525: A change in Indian customs that might lead to the happiest results. He was informed, on good authority, that there was not a child who had reached eight years of age not capable of reading and writing; but this distinguished prince, not satisfied with advancing the interests of elementary education, had established an observatory, and placed in it an English gentleman, a member of the Royal Society of London, and who
585-499: A high place among the most enlightened of European Sovereigns had his destiny been so cast. You will be grieved to learn about the demise of His Highness the Rajah of Travancore. Among the native princes of India, he was distinguished for his superior intelligence and extensive acquirements in oriental literature. He is not unknown to fame in the European world, for most of you must be aware that
702-538: A monarch, Swathi Thirunal was incredibly hardworking and supremely committed to his kingdom and people. The appointment of General Cullen as the Resident of Travancore, was the beginning of the end for the Maharajah. Historian P. Shungunny Menon wrote: Resident Jerond Cullen assumed almost sovereign authority. Such was his oppressive intrusion in the administration. The king was made totally powerless. Compounding this atrocity
819-552: A national calamity. The Journal the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland ran an obituary in 1847 which mourned that, The early death of this enlightened and princely patron of true science, is a subject of just regret. Prince Rama Varma , renowned South Indian Classical musician and descendant of Swathi Thirunal, organizes the Swathi Sangeethotsavam , a 10-day music festival featuring exclusively
936-598: A railway terminal at Nemom railway station to reduce congestion at Thiruvananthapuram Central. Swathi Thirunal Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma III (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore . He was a great musician and composer who has to his credit over 400 classical compositions in both Carnatic and Hindustani style. A code of laws, courts of justice, introduction of English education, construction of an observatory, installation of
1053-426: A result of the annexation of neighbouring chiefdoms, the artists and scholars from these places migrated to Thiruvananthapuram, turning it into a cultural center. Marthanda Varma gave patronage to different temple art forms including Koothu , Padhakam , Kathakali , Thullal , and Koodiyattam . Noted artists such as Ramapurathu Warrier and Kunchan Nambiar amongst others served as his court poets. Travancore became
1170-455: A result of the revolt, the government changed the laws and allowed dalit men & women to wear upper clothes. Several taxes on the lower classes were also repealed by the Maharajah after protests. Another area where Swathi Thirunal took interest was in astronomy . He wished to compare Western findings with Indian knowledge. He had knowledge of observatories in Madras and others. Finding that there
1287-642: A similar set-up. The current observatory site was chosen on top of a laterite mount near the Kanakakunnu hill, which was observed as having the best western sky views in Eastern hemisphere, being near the equator and the Arabian sea. He was instrumental in buying telescopes and tools to Thiruvananthapuram (via ship route through the Middle east) from England. It became a part of the erstwhile Travancore University, but for some time
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#17328631396481404-405: A snake farm called 'The Reptile House', which exhibits both poisonous and non-poisonous snakes. It also houses 7 Anacondas too. Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( / ˌ t ɪ r uː v ə ˌ n ʌ n t ə ˈ p ʊər ə m / TIRR -oo-və- NUN -təp- OOR -əm ; Malayalam: [t̪iɾuʋɐnɐn̪d̪ɐpuɾɐm] ), formerly known as Trivandrum , is the capital city of
1521-717: A social reformer and iconoclast Ayya Vaikundar, an incarnation of Hindu Deity Vishnu ) severely criticized Swathi Thirunal for the then prevalent caste discrimination against the members of the lower classes in Travancore. He referred to the King as Ananthapuri Neechan (vile man of Ananthapuri); referred to the Brahmins and the British as Karineechanmar (vile Black cheaters) and Venneechanmar (vile White cheaters), respectively. The upper caste Hindus then complained to Swathi Thirunal that Vaikundar
1638-477: A son, Thiruvattar Chithira Nal Ananthapadmanabhan Chempakaraman Thampi . A few months later, for the care of the baby, the Maharajah married another lady called Neelamma Pillai Ammachi by adopting her into the Thiruvattar Ammaveedu. He later married Sundara Lakshmi in 1843, a Saiva Mudaliar dancer, after adopting her into Vadasseri Ammaveedu . The story of the dancer Sugandhavalli who didn't get along with
1755-555: A survey conducted by India Today . Thiruvananthapuram was ranked the best Indian city for two consecutive years, 2015 and 2016, according to the Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS) conducted by the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. The city was also selected as the best governed city in India in a survey conducted by Janaagraha Centre for citizenship and democracy in 2017. The city takes its name from
1872-438: Is 34 °C (93 °F) and the mean minimum temperature is 21 °C (70 °F). The humidity is high and rises to about 90% during the monsoon season. Thiruvananthapuram is the first city along the path of the south-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. The city receives heavy rainfall of around 1,835 mm (72.2 in) per year. The city also gets rain from the receding north-east monsoons which hit
1989-495: Is a Public-private partnership project to improve and maintain the existing road network in the city to cater to the needs of rapid urbanisation. TRCIP has won the International Road Federation's Global Road Achievement Awards in 2015. TCRIP has also been selected by United Nations as a replicable Public Private Partnership model. It was one of the 12 Public-private partnership project case studies from across
2106-416: Is a transhipment port under construction. Vizhinjam port's location is close to the international shipping routes and, it is just 10–12 nautical miles from the busy Persian Gulf - Malacca shipping lane. The port also has a natural depth of 18 to 20 metres which can accommodate huge container ships . The berths at Vizhinjam port are designed to cater to vessels of up to 24,000 TEU . Thiruvananthapuram
2223-435: Is a major IT and ITES hub in India. The city contributes about 40-45% of Kerala's total software exports. Thiruvananthapuram houses major multinational Technology companies like Oracle Corporation , Nissan , Allianz Technology , Envestnet , Tata Consultancy Services , Infosys , UST Global , Ernst & Young , Flytxt, Navigant , Tata Elxsi , McKinsey & Company , RR Donnelly and Quest Global. Technopark
2340-538: Is a major tourist centre, known for the Padmanabhaswamy Temple , the beaches of Kovalam and Varkala , the backwaters of Poovar and Anchuthengu and its Western Ghats tracts of Ponmudi and the Agastya Mala . In 2012, Thiruvananthapuram was named the best Kerala city to live in, by a field survey conducted by The Times of India . In 2013, the city was ranked the fifteenth best city to live in India, in
2457-428: Is a major tourist hub in India. Kovalam and Varkala are popular beach towns near the city. Other important beaches include Poovar , Shankumugham Beach , Azhimala Beach, Vizhinjam Beach and Veli Beach. Other places of interest include Agasthyamala rain forests, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary , Kallar , Braemore, Ponmudi hills, Poovar , Anchuthengu backwaters, Varkala Cliffs and Kappil - Edava lakes. The city
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#17328631396482574-454: 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. Port-related activity is low mainly due to the underdevelopment of ports. Vizhinjam International Seaport
2691-525: Is also known for its unique style of architecture involving Kerala Architecture with British and Dravidian influences. Napier museum , Thiruvanathapuram Zoo , Padmanabha Swamy temple , Kuthira Malika palace , Kilimanoor palace and The Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club heritage building are examples of this. The main museums include Kerala Science and Technology Museum (with its attached Priyadarsini Planetarium ), Napier Museum , Kerala Soil Museum and Koyikkal Palace Museum . Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve
2808-745: Is an officer appointed by the government , who serves as the administrative head of the TMC and implements the council's decisions based on the resolutions adopted by the council. The functions of the Municipal Corporation are managed by seven departments—engineering, health, general administration, council, accounts and revenue. For the decentralised role of TMC, eleven Zonal Offices are created. The zonal offices are in Fort, Kadakampally, Nemom , Ulloor , Attipra, Thiruvallom, Kazhakkuttom , Sreekaryam , Kudappanakunnu , Vattiyoorkavu and Vizhinjam . The functions of
2925-453: Is around 1.68 million. Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills. The present regions that constitute Thiruvananthapuram were ruled by
3042-631: 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. Other railway stations in the city are Thiruvananthapuram Pettah , Nemom railway station , Veli railway station and Kazhakoottam railway station . Being the southernmost municipal corporation in India, many long train services of Indian Railways originate from Thiruvananthapuram like Trivandrum Rajdhani Express, Thiruvananthapuram - Silchar Superfast Express and Kochuveli - Amritsar Weekly Express . There are plans to develop
3159-628: Is further aided by state institutions such as the State Central Library , one of the oldest public libraries in India, which was established in 1829, and other major libraries including the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Central library, and the Kerala University Library . Thiruvananthapuram has been a hub of classical music since the days of Maharaja of Travancore , Swathi Thirunal . Thiruvananthapuram
3276-679: Is known for many music festivals like the Navarathri Music Festival, one of the oldest festivals of its kind in South India, Swathi Sangeethotsavam , Soorya Music fest, Neelakanta Sivan Music Fest and many other music festivals are organised by various cultural groups. The 111-day-long Soorya Festival is the biggest art and cultural event in Kerala . The Soorya Festival features film festivals, theatre festivals, dance, music, painting and photography exhibitions. The Malayalam film Industry
3393-596: Is listed in UNESCO 's World Network of Biosphere Reserves . Thiruvananthapuram is known as the "Evergreen City of India" because of its green landscapes and the presence of many public parks. Thiruvananthapuram has historically been a cultural hub in Southern India due to the development of arts, architecture and liberal customs by the rulers of erstwhile Thiruvananthapuram. As a testimony to this, renowned artists like Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Raja Ravi Varma hail from
3510-538: Is one of Asia's largest film festivals in terms of viewer participation. In addition to various film festivals, the presence of the Central Board of Film Certification 's regional office, many movie studios and production facilities like the Uma Studio, Chitranjali Studio , Merryland Studio , Kinfra Film and Video Park and Vismayas Max contribute to the growth of Thiruvananthapuram as a centre of cinema. Apart from
3627-418: Is the fastest-growing district in Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram was listed as one of the top ten cities in India on Vibrancy and Consumption Index by a study conducted by global financial services firm Morgan Stanley . State- and central-government employees make up a large percentage of the city's workforce. Thiruvananthapuram is a major aerospace research centre in India. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre ,
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3744-478: Is the largest information-technology park in India in terms of built-up area. It is the largest employment base campus in Kerala with 52,000 IT/ITES professionals and about 400 companies. Other IT, media and industrial campuses include Kinfra Film and Video Park , Kinfra Apparel Park, B-HUB and Chithranjali Film Complex . Other major IT, biotechnology and industrial campuses include Technocity , Bio 360 Life sciences park and Digital Science Park . Tourism
3861-573: Is undertaking this renovation with financial and technical help from the Central Zoo Authority . The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is home to 82 species from around the world. Indigenous species at the zoo include lion-tailed macaque , Nilgiri langur , Indian rhinoceros , Asiatic lion , royal Bengal tiger , white tiger and leopard , as well as nine Asian elephants (as of 31 March 2009). in 2020, animals from Africa include giraffes , hippos , zebras , and Cape buffalos . The zoo also includes
3978-592: The Ays who were related to feudatories of the Chera dynasty . In the 12th century, it was conquered by the Kingdom of Venad . In the 18th century, the king Marthanda Varma expanded the territory, founded the princely state of Travancore and made Thiruvananthapuram its capital. Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755. Following India's independence in 1947, Thiruvananthapuram became
4095-692: The Border Security Force (BSF) are also present. Thiruvananthapuram also houses a large army cantonment in Pangode which houses some regiments of the Indian Army . In the city there is a Consulate of the United Arab Emirates , a Consulate of the Maldives , and Honorary Consulates of Sri Lanka , Russia and Germany . The Kerala Water Authority supplies the city with water that is sourced from
4212-560: The Chola dynasty , The place names, the dialects of Malayalam spoken, and the customs that exist in Kerala today still reveal a close relationship with Tamil heritage. In the early 18th century CE, the Travancore royal family adopted some members from the royal family of Kolathunadu based at Kannur . Then, Marthanda Varma who inherited the Kingdom of Venad expanded the kingdom by conquering
4329-593: The East India Company , and his officials and declared in the Durbar that she was entrusting the East India Company with the care of her child and expected the company to co-operate with him in future. In 1829 Swathi Thirunal reached majority at 16 and assumed full powers of ruler and reigned as the Maharajah of Travancore until his death in 1846. He had an elder sister, Gowri Rukmini Bayi , whose children ascended
4446-588: The Karamana River ; most of it is drawn from the Aruvikkara and Peppara reservoirs, and it is treated and purified at the Aruvikkara pumping stations. The Wellington Water Works, commissioned in 1933, is one of the oldest city water supply schemes in India. The sewage water is treated at Muttathara sewage-treatment plant, which handles 32 million litres per day. The city area is divided into seven blocks for
4563-610: The Kerala Legislative Assembly and the state secretariat, which is housed in the Kerala Government Secretariat complex . Thiruvananthapuram has two parliamentary constituencies— Attingal and Thiruvananthapuram —and elects five Members of the Legislative Assembly ( MLAs ) to the state legislature. The Thiruvananthapuram City Police is the main law-enforcement agency in the city. It is headed by
4680-475: The Kingdom of Venad in the 12th century. Present-day Thiruvananthapuram city, district, and Kanyakumari district , were parts of the Ay dynasty during ancient and medieval ages, which was a Tamil kingdom based in the southernmost part of the Indian subcontinent. Ay kingdom had experienced attacks and conquests by Cholas and Pandyas in various periods. Later it became a part of Venad in late Middle Ages, which
4797-707: The Malayalam word thiru-anantha-puram ( തിരുവനന്തപുരം [t̪iɾuʋɐnɐn̪d̪ɐpuɾɐm] ), meaning "The City of Lord Ananta", referring to the deity of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple located in the city. Thiruvananthapuram is also known in literature, and popular reference as Ananthapuri , derived from the Sanskrit word Syanandurapuram , meaning "The City of Bliss" in Carnatic kirtanas composed by Swathi Thirunal , erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore . The city
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4914-629: The National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology , Indian Space Research Organisation 's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre , the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology , National Centre for Earth Science Studies and a campus of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research . The city is home to media institutions like Toonz Animation India and Tata Elxsi Ltd , and also to Chitranjali Film Studio , one of
5031-686: The Observatory (1837), the General Hospital (1839), the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College (1873). The first mental hospital in the state was started during the same period. Sanskrit College , Ayurveda College, Law College and a second-grade college for women were started by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924). The early 20th century was an age of tremendous political and social changes in
5148-796: The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple , known as the richest temple in the world. Thiruvananthapuram is where India's space program began, with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the headquarters of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre located here. Thiruvananthapuram is also known for its cultural heritage, being associated with the musical contributions of Swathi Thirunal Rama varma and the artistic legacy of painter Raja Ravi Varma .Notable beaches in Thiruvananthapuram include Kovalam , Varkala , Shankumugham Beach ,and Poovar .The encompassing urban agglomeration population
5265-522: The Western Ghats to its east. The average elevation of the city is 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea level. The Geological Survey of India has identified Thiruvananthapuram as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorised the metropolis in the Seismic III Zone. Thiruvananthapuram lies on the shores of Karamana and Killi rivers . Vellayani , Thiruvallam and Aakulam backwaters lie in
5382-424: The poverty line in the city was 11,667. Thiruvananthapuram has witnessed massive immigration of workers from northern India, mainly Punjab , Haryana , and Madhya Pradesh , and Eastern India, mainly West Bengal and Bihar , and from neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka , the Maldives , Nepal and Bangladesh . The Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram or TMC oversees and manages the civic infrastructure of
5499-491: The 2011 national census, the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram, which occupies an area of 214 km (83 sq mi), had a population of 957,730. The city's population density was 4,454/km (11,540/sq mi). The Urban Agglomeration had a population of 1,687,406 in 2011. The sex ratio is 1,040 females for every 1,000 males, which is higher than the national average. Thiruvananthapuram's literacy rate of 93.72% exceeds
5616-579: The Ammachi approached Irayimman Thampi for a solution. According to researchers he then created the famous Malayalam Padam (song) Prananaathan Enikku Nalkiya and told the Ammachi to sing it loudly in the King's presence; after hearing it the King was pleased and they reconciled immediately. This particular work of Thampi is considered by experts as one of the most beautiful Shringara (erotic) Padams available in Malayalam . Together they had three children but in 1839 Narayani Pillai Ammachi died, leaving behind
5733-602: The Diwan to resign when he heard that the Diwan had acted to favour a particular party in a land dispute. He started an English school in Thiruvananthapuram in 1834, which came to be called the Maharajah's Government Free School and later became Maharajah's High School and then Maharajah's College . It is now the University College . Later, similar schools were started at many other places. He also implemented reforms in
5850-461: The Earliest Times, 1878) records an incident between young Swathi Thirunal and Col. Welsh, a visiting British officer, that the word geometry and words like hexagon , heptagon and so on were derived from Sanskrit . Colonel Welsh summed up the boy King's genius as follows: Swati Tirunal, now thirteen... took up a book of mathematics and selecting the forty-seventh proposition of Euclid sketched
5967-547: The Indian state of Kerala . It is the largest and most populous city in Kerala and it is also a major port city. Thiruvananthapuram is where Asia's first space university, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology located, and India's first IT park, Technopark Trivandrum is in Thiruvananthapuram. The city also includes India’s first deep-water trans-shipment port, the Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram , as well as
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#17328631396486084-514: The King's first wife, Narayani Pillai Thankachi, has been disproved by R.P. Raja as nothing but fiction in his research treatise 'New Light on Swathi Thirunal'. In 1845 the King constructed the Thanjavur Ammaveedu for his third consort. Sundara Lakshmi, a great devotee of Lord Ganapati and Kanjirottu Yakshi Amma, resided there until her death in 1856. Swathi Thirunal took over the reins of Travancore from his aunt, Gowri Parvati Bayi (she
6201-558: The Musnud (throne) the moment he had attained his 16th year. In 1829, at the age of sixteen, Maharajah Swathi Thirunal married Thiruvattar Ammachi Panapillai Amma Srimathi Ayikutty Narayani Pillai Thankachi, a famed beauty of the Thiruvattar Ammaveedu family, was an expert Carnatic singer and Veena player. Once there was a minor quarrel between Narayani Pillai Ammachi and her husband, the King. The quarrel continued for some days;
6318-565: The Oriental Manuscript Library were started by Swathi Thirunal, the Museum and Zoo in Thiruvananthapuram as well. The Maharajah was also an honorary member of the Royal Asiatic Society from 1843. Maharajah Swathi Thirunal also put an end to the barbaric punishment called the 'SUCHINDRAM KAIMUKKU' According to which the accused was forced to prove his innocence by dipping his hand in boiled ghee at Suchindram temple, and he
6435-452: The TMC include water supply, drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid-waste management, and building regulation. The Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority is responsible for the statutory planning and development of the greater Thiruvananthapuram region. As the seat of the Government of Kerala , Thiruvananthapuram is home to not only the offices of the local governing agencies but also
6552-405: The Travancore musnud consecutively. Her only daughter was the mother of Moolam Thirunal . He had a younger brother, Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma , who succeeded him in 1846 and ruled Travancore until his demise in 1860. Irayimman Thampi , the famous poet-composer wrote perhaps the most famous Malayalam lullaby Omanathinkal Kidavo ( ഓമനത്തിങ്കള്ക്കിടാവോ ), about Swathi Thirunal when he
6669-456: The age of 33, Maharajah Swathi Thirunal died on 26 December 1846. The demise of Maharajah Swathi Thirunal attracted the attention of even the foreign press. Allen's Indian Mail and Register of Intelligence of British &Foreign India, China, & All Parts of the East wrote: Both intellectually and morally, he was indeed far beyond his country and equals in rank; in both respects he might have taken
6786-491: The all-India average of 74%. It is a historical city where Malayalees form the vast majority of Thiruvananthapuram's population. There are also minorities like the Tamils and North Indians residing here. According to the 2011 census, 68.5% of the population is Hindu , 16.7% Christians and 13.7% Muslims . The remainder of the community includes Jains , Jews , Sikhs , Buddhists and other religions which account for 0.06% of
6903-479: The capital of Travancore–Cochin state and remained so until the new Indian state of Kerala was formed in 1956. Thiruvananthapuram is a notable academic and research hub and home to the University of Kerala , APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University , the regional headquarters of Indira Gandhi National Open University , and many other schools and colleges. Thiruvananthapuram is also home to research centers such as
7020-439: The census, the population of Travancore was 128,068. Swathi Thirunal was also instrumental in bringing modern medicine to the state. He appointed a European as the palace physician. He was also given the responsibility of providing medical assistance to local people, for which hospitals were started. It is this post that was known as Surgeon General till the formation of Kerala State. He also started an engineering department, which
7137-451: The city by October. The dry season sets in by December. The lowest temperature recorded in the city core was 17.8 °C (64.0 °F) on 6 January 1974 and the highest temperature was 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) on 21 February 2019. At the airport, the lowest temperature recorded was 16.4 °C (61.5 °F) on 15 January 1975 and the highest temperature was 36.3 °C (97.3 °F) on 5 May 1998. According to provisional results of
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#17328631396487254-474: The city were the Ays . Vizhinjam , which is now a region in the present-day Thiruvananthapuram, was the capital of the Ay dynasty. Vizhinjam was an important port city from as early as the second century BC. During the Ay dynasty's rule, Thiruvananthapuram witnessed many battles in which the Chola and Pandyan dynasties attempted to capture the port town. After the death of king Vikramaditya Varaguna in 925 AD,
7371-481: The city's 100 wards. Each ward elects a councillor to the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram. TMC has the power to act as the local government of the city. TMC is headed by the Mayor, who is elected from among the councillors. The Mayor is responsible for the overall supervision and control of the administrative functions of the TMC. The corporation discharges its services through standing committees. The corporation secretary
7488-484: The city. Prominent social reformers such as Sri Narayana Guru , Chattampi Swamikal , Ayyankali , Vakkom Moulavi and C. V. Raman Pillai also are from Thiruvananthapuram. Two of the three Malayalam triumvirate poets , Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer and Kumaran Asan are from Thiruvananthapuram. Annual literature festivals like the Kovalam Literary Festival, are held in the city. Literary development
7605-590: The city. The soil type in the middle part of the city is a dark brown loamy laterite soil high in phosphates. Laterisation is a result of the heavy rainfall and humid conditions. In western coastal regions of the city, sandy loam soil is found, and on hilly eastern parts of the district, rich dark brown loam of granite origin is found. The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is spread over 214.86 km (82.96 sq mi). The wider Thiruvananthapuram metropolitan area comprises Thiruvananthapuram corporation, three municipalities and 27 panchayats, as of 2011. Being
7722-512: The city. Other major highways in the city are State Highway 2 and State Highway 45 . The Mahatma Gandhi Road is the main arterial road in the city. Another important road is the Kowdiar Road, which is also known as the Royal Road, as it leads to the Kowdiar Palace. Thiruvananthapuram is a divisional headquarters in the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways . Long-distance trains originate from Thiruvananthapuram Central and Kochuveli railway terminals . Kochuveli railway terminal
7839-446: The city. The Sree Moolam Popular Assembly , established in 1904, was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. Despite not being under the direct control of the British Empire at any time, the city featured prominently in India's freedom struggle . The Indian National Congress had a very active presence in Thiruvananthapuram. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr Pattabhi Sitaramaiah
7956-427: The city. The main bus stations in the city are the Central Bus Station in Thampanoor , where most of the long-distance buses ply from, and the city bus station in East Fort , where most city buses ply from. Three-wheeled, yellow and black auto-rickshaws and taxis, are other popular forms of public transport. Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro is a fully elevated metro rail – rapid transit system planned to ease
8073-451: The compositions of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal. Eminent Carnatic and Hindustani musicians participate in this unique musical event, which is conducted every year from 4 to 13 January at Kuthira Malika , Trivandrum and attracts music aficionados from across the globe. The award Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram is instituted in the name of Maharajah Swathi Thirunal of Travancore to honour those musicians who have made valuable contributions to
8190-405: The congestion in the city. Thiruvananthapuram has a well-developed road transport infrastructure. The roads in the city are maintained by the Thiruvananthapuram Roads Development Company Limited (TRDCL) and Kerala PWD . TRDCL manages the 42 km city roads which come under the Thiruvananthapuram City Roads Improvement Project (TRCIP), which is the first urban road project in India. TRCIP
8307-466: The cradle of India's ambitious space programme. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in the outskirts of the city in 1963. Several establishments of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram. A significant milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of Technopark —India's first IT park—in 1995. Technopark has developed into
8424-535: The deceased Rajah maintained an observatory at considerable expense, and that MR Caldecott was for a length of time, his highness's astronomer. The ephemeris emanating from the Travancore observatory was a valuable contribution to astronomical science ... The Rajah also supported an English school on a scale of liberality that perhaps has few precedents in other native states. He was a steady and staunch advocate of education, friend and patron of men of letters ... his loss will doubtless be greatly deplored by Travancoreans as
8541-478: The elder son. While in the womb itself, he was proclaimed King and thus was referred to as Garbha Sreemaan . He was born in Svati star, and this is the reason why he was named Swathi Thirunal. He reigned under the regency of his mother from 1813 to 1815 and then under the regency of his maternal aunt Gowri Parvati Bayi until 1829. When he was just four months old, his mother invited Colonel John Munro , representative of
8658-673: The establishment of Napier Museum and Zoo in Thiruvananthapuram. A committee was formed in 1855 with the Maharaja of Travancore as Patron, General Cullen as president, The Elaya Raja as vice president and Mr. Allen Brown as Secretary of the Committee and the Director of Museum. The Museum was thrown open to the Public in September 1857. But the Museum by itself could not attract the people much, and therefore
8775-571: The execution of the sewage system. Electricity is supplied by the Kerala State Electricity Board . Fire services are handled by the Kerala Fire And Rescue Services . Thiruvananthapuram's economy comprises Information Technology , education, plantations, aerospace, commerce and tourism . Thiruvananthapuram district contributes 10.31%, of the state's GDP. With an economic growth rate of 13.83%, Thiruvananthapuram
8892-541: The famous Padmanabhaswamy Temple , the city's architecture is championed by the Napier Museum and Thiruvananthapuram Zoo , one of the oldest zoos in India. Other architectural landmarks include Kuthira Malika Palace , Kowdiar Palace , Attukal temple , Beemapally Mosque , Connemara Market , and the Mateer Memorial Church . Thiruvananthapuram was the main centre of Laurie Baker 's architecture. Along with
9009-467: The field of music. It is also the highest honour for musicians by the Government of Kerala , India . In 1987, a Malayalam film titled Swathi Thirunal based on his life was released. It was directed by Lenin Rajendran . It stars Anant Nag in the title role, and Srividya , Ambika , Nedumudi Venu and Murali in other important roles. Sree Swathi Thirunal Maharaja , a 1967 documentary film about
9126-505: The figure on a country slate but what astonished me most was his telling us in English that Geometry was derived from the Sanskrit, which as Jaw metor (Jyamiti) to measure the earth and that many of our mathematical terms were also derived from the same source such as hexagon, heptagon, octagon... This promising boy is now, I conclude, sovereign of the finest country in India for he was to succeed to
9243-593: The first Government printing press, establishment of the first manuscripts library were amongst the many initiatives taken by Swathi Thirunal, as a King, to modernize Travancore. Swathi Thirunal was born into the Venad dynasty of the Matrilineal royal family of Travancore, which is now a part of Kerala , on 16 April 1813. He was the second child of Queen Gowri Lakshmi Bayi who ruled Travancore from 1810 to 1815, and Raja Raja Varma Koil Thampuran of Changanasseri Palace, and
9360-686: The first film studios in Malayalam Cinema , and Kinfra Film and Video Park at Kazhakoottom, which is India's first Infotainment industrial park. Being India's largest city in the deep south, it is strategically prominent and hosts the Southern Air Command headquarters of the Indian Air Force , the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station and the upcoming Vizhinjam International Seaport . Thiruvananthapuram
9477-558: The glory of the Ays departed and almost all their territories became part of the Chera dynasty . During the tenth century, the Cholas attacked and sacked Vizhinjam and surrounding regions. The port in Vizhinjam and the historic education center of Kanthalloor Sala were also destroyed by Cholas during this period. A branch of the Ay family, which had controlled the Padmanabhaswamy Temple , merged with
9594-609: The headquarters of Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services . The Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force is headquartered in the city. There are two state armed police battalions and a unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) based in Thiruvananthapuram. The CRPF has a Group Headquarters (GHQ) located at Pallipuram . In addition to this, three units of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Sector Headquarters (SHQ) of
9711-462: The kingdoms of Attingal, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Kottarakara, Kottayam, Changanassery, Meenachil, Poonjar and Ambalapuzha. In 1729, Marthanda Varma founded the princely state of Thiruvithamkoor and Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital in 1795 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari district. Thiruvananthapuram became a prominent city in Kerala under Marthanda Varma . As
9828-465: The largest IT park in the geographical area, employing around 62,000 people in 450 companies. Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills by the seashore and is at 8°30′N 76°54′E / 8.5°N 76.9°E / 8.5; 76.9 on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India. The city is on the west coast of India and is bounded by the Laccadive Sea to its west and
9945-624: The largest city in India's southern tip region, it is essential for both military logistics and civil aviation in the southern part of the country. Thiruvananthapuram is the headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force. The city has a climate that lies on the border between a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen Aw ) and a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ). As a result, its only distinct seasons relate to rainfall rather than temperature. The mean maximum temperature
10062-405: The legal sector, starting Munsif , District and Appellate Courts and modernizing laws. He identified one Kandan Menon from Malabar and appointed him as Huzoor Diwan Peshkar to bring about legal reforms. Another of his achievements was to settle many land disputes by carrying out a resurvey of the land, in which also Menon helped him. He also conducted the first census of the state in 1836. As per
10179-452: The major festivals of Onam , Vishu , Deepavali , and Navaratri , Christian and Islamic festivals like Christmas , Eid ul-Fitr , Bakrid and Milad-e-sheriff , the diverse ethnic populace of the city celebrates several local festivals like Attukal Pongala , Beemapally Uroos , Vettukaad Church Festival , Padmanabhaswamy Temple Aaraattu and Lakshadeepam festival. During the Onam festival,
10296-415: The most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755. The city developed into a significant intellectual and artistic centre during this period. The city's golden age was during the mid-19th century under the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal . This era saw the establishment of the first English school (1834),
10413-594: The most significant and leading centre of ISRO , and several space-related, state-owned ISRO centres such as Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station , Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre , and ISRO Inertial Systems Unit are based in Thiruvananthapuram. The BrahMos Aerospace Trivandrum Limited is one of the leading missile integration and defence production units in India. Other enterprises include Travancore Titanium Products , Kerala Automobiles Limited , MILMA , English Indian Clays , Keltron , Trivandrum Rubber Works and HLL Lifecare Limited . Thiruvananthapuram
10530-558: The people is Keralite cuisine , which is generally characterised by an abundance of coconut and spices . Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese and North Indian cuisines, are popular. Thiruvananthapuram has many restaurants offering Arabic , Italian , Thai and Mexican cuisines. The majority of bus services are conducted by government operators. There are also private operators. The city buses operated by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) are an important and reliable means of public transport available in
10647-478: The population; 0.85% did not state a belief in the census. Malayalam , the official state language, is the dominant language in Thiruvananthapuram City: English is also used, mainly by the white-collar workforce. Tamil has the most speakers after Malayalam . The city also has a few Tulu , Kannada, Konkani , Dhivehi , Telugu and Hindi speakers. As per the 2001 census, the population below
10764-628: The state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour, the Kochi . The king of Travancore , Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma , became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1 July 1949 until 31 October 1956. When the state of Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became its capital. With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1962, Thiruvananthapuram became
10881-458: The state government conducts several cultural events for a week in the city. The Attukal Pongala festival attracts millions of women devotees from across India and abroad. It is the largest gathering of women in the world. Germany's Goethe Zentrum, France's Alliance Française and Russia's Gorky Bhavan centres host a wide range of events and programmes throughout the year. The general cuisine of
10998-532: The then English scholar, Thanjavur Subba Rao as well. He continued to learn music by listening to accomplished musicians and practising himself. He encouraged both broad systems of Indian music , Hindustani and Carnatic music , though he was essentially a connoisseur of the Carnatic music tradition. He is credited with composing over 400 compositions in Carnatic and Hindustani music. Some of his favourite compositions were Padmanabha Pahi , Deva Deva , Devanke , Sarasijanabha and Sree Ramana Vibho . Swathi Thirunal
11115-721: The world which fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Agenda 2030. Thiruvananthapuram is served by National Highway 66 of India's National Highways system . The city is connected to the North-South Corridor of the National Highway system at Aralvaimozhi , which is 80 km south of the city. The State Highway 1 , which commonly known as the Main Central Road is an arterial highway in
11232-769: Was administered as an independent government institution. It is now the oldest institution under the Kerala University. Started in 1837, some of the equipment is still to be seen at the Thiruvananthapuram observatory (now under the Department of Physics, University of Kerala ). In the early sixties, in relation to Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, the founder Dr. Vikram Sarabhai selected this astronomy observatory to study equatorial night skies. He assigned his doctoral students, notably Dr. A.P.J Kalam and Dr. K. Narayanan Nair, to collect data on cosmic rays and ionosphere. Trivandrum Public Library (now State Central Library ) and
11349-760: Was already an established astronomer from India and a member of the British and Canadian Astronomical Societies. The observatory benefited from the expertise of local English men, Colonel Fraser and Mr. Caldecott. A cotton mill expert John Caldecott, FRS was interested in astronomy but was self-taught, and later became one of its directors. As an industrial representative in Alapuzha, he used to make instruments for astronomical observations and initially mounted viewing instruments on top of mango tree in Residency of Kollam, Kochi and his Alappuzha homes. Raja Swathi Tirunal saw his collection and asked him to come to Thiruvananthapuram to start
11466-428: Was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of the University of Travancore in 1937, which later became Kerala University . With the end of British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popularly elected ministry, headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai , was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi ,
11583-670: Was born. Both his aunt/foster mother, who was well-versed in music, and his father, a Sanskrit scholar, took special care about his education. Col. Munro also is said to have taken a keen interest in his education. He started learning Malayalam and Sanskrit at the age of six and English at the age of seven. The young Prince studied several languages, including Malayalam , Kannada , Tamil , Hindustani , Telugu , Marathi , Sanskrit , English and Persian . He impressed all his teachers, and even guests from abroad, with his keen understanding of not only languages but also other subjects like geometry. P. Sankunni Menon (A History of Travancore from
11700-549: Was cheating people by claiming to be God and as a result of the complaint, Swathi Thirunal ordered to arrest him but Vaikundar was not the cheater and later released by the government. In the then society, men and women belonging to the lower classes weren't allowed to cover their upper body as it was considered a privilege reserved for caste Hindus & people of other religions. Vaikundar exhorted dalits to fight against this and organized revolts to get their due rights which came to be known as Melmundu Samaram (Upper Cloth Revolt). As
11817-423: Was deeply interested in music right from childhood. Besides being an able ruler, he was a patron of music and was a musician himself. Researchers say that Swathi Thirunal affixed his compositions with the mudra Padmanabha , sarasijanaabha, etc. and its synonyms. His education in music started with the first lessons from Karamana Subrahmania Bhagavathar and Karamana Padmanabha Bhagavathar. Later, he studied music from
11934-477: Was educated by his prime minister— a rare tutor for a sovereign. The Rajah had established schools within his dominions—he had established a mathematical school under English superintendence; but he had done more—he had done what, he was sorry to say, had neither been done in England, Scotland, nor Ireland—be had established a school in every village of his dominions— and be gave education to every child, male and female –
12051-483: Was eventually expanded as the powerful kingdom of Travancore in 18th century CE. The Tamil -Dravidian kind of architecture is also found in Padmanabhaswamy temple, which makes it distinct and unique from the architectural style of temples in northern and central parts of Kerala . The official language of Kerala , based at Kollam , was also identified as Tamil , by the natives of Kerala in those times. and
12168-442: Was fluent in a number of languages including Malayalam , Sanskrit , Marathi , Telugu , Kannada , Hindustani , Bengali , Tamil , Oriya and English. This was a period when music and art were thriving in many parts of south India. The triumvirate of Carnatic music, Tyagaraja (1767–1847), Syama Sastri (1762–1827) and Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775–1835), lived and enriched music during this period. Swathi Thirunal's palace also
12285-414: Was held here in 1938. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipality came into existence in 1920 as the first municipality in the Travancore region. The municipality was converted into a corporation on 30 October 1940, during the period of Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma , who took over in 1931. The city witnessed multi-faceted progress during his period. The promulgation of the " Temple Entry Proclamation " (1936)
12402-503: Was home to many musicians and artistes of the period, including the famous Thanjavur Quartet brothers, Tyagaraja 's disciple Kannayya Bhagavathar, Ananthapadmanabha Goswami (a Maharashtrian singer known as Kokilakanthameru swami), Shadkala Govinda Marar , and many others. The literary works of Maharajah Swathi Thirunal include Bhakti Manjari', Syanandurapuravarnana Prabandham, Padmanabhasatakam, Muhanaprasa Antyaprasa Vyavastha, Ajamila, Kuchela Upakhyanas and Utsava Varnana Prabandha. As
12519-588: Was in that room – he meant Mr. Caldecott. In this observatory, observations were carried on with the same success as under British interests. The Rajah had also established a magnetical and meteorological observatory, having been led to do so by becoming acquainted with a report on Meteorology, published by the British Association. And the observations taken there were found to be as accurate as those taken in Edinburgh, Philadelphia, and other places. Swathi Thirunal
12636-445: Was officially referred to as Trivandrum until 1991 (Trivandrum being the anglicised name of the town), when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram. Thiruvananthapuram is a relatively modern region with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE. It is believed that the ships of King Solomon landed in a port called Ophir (now Poovar ) in Thiruvananthapuram in 1036 BCE. The city
12753-438: Was placed under the command of one Lieutenant Horsley. The Karamana bridge was built at that time. Despite the progress achieved in varied fields under Swathi Thirunal's reign, the Kingdom of Travancore, like the rest of British India, was in the grip of extreme caste discrimination against Hindu lower classes ( dalits ). According to the followers of the movement called Ayya Vazhi (the path of Ayya Vaikundar) and historians,
12870-768: Was punished if the hand gets burnt. He is also credited with starting the first government press (the only press at that time was CMS Press in Kottayam ). A report on the English schools in Travancore appeared in The Gardner's Magazine of 1841, wrote about the administrative reforms brought in by Maharajah Swathi Thirunal: Rajah of Travancore, the great promoter of science in the East, was only twenty-eight years of age, and had not reigned more than ten years, yet, during that short period, he had caused himself to be distinguished by his accomplishments as well as by his' liberality. They would, no doubt, be interested in learning that this prince
12987-655: Was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between c. first and the fourth centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap , the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu . However the southern region of present-day Kerala state (The coastal belt between Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha ) was under Ay dynasty , who was more related to the Pandya dynasty of Madurai . The early rulers of
13104-459: Was so much in common between western astronomy and Indian (eastern) astrological understanding of planets, stars and the known universe; Swathi Thirunal set the initiative to start an Astronomical Observatory. One of its directors would be his cousin, Raja Rama Varma Rohani Thirunal, who was the contemporary Raja of Mavelikara Palace, an important branch of the ruling Travancore Royal family related to Raja Swathi Thirunal Raja Rohani Thirunal (Rohini)
13221-546: Was started in Thiruvananthapuram. The first Malayalam feature film, Vigathakumaran directed by J. C. Daniel was released in Thiruvananthapuram. J. C. Daniel is considered the father of Malayalam film industry. He also established the first film studio in Kerala, the Travancore National Pictures at Thiruvananthapuram in 1926. The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which is held every year in December,
13338-520: Was the Regent for Swathi Thirunal in his boyhood) at the age of sixteen. He appointed his tutor, Sri Subba Rao, as the Prime Minister (Diwan). One of his first moves was to shift the government secretariat from Kollam (about seventy-five kilometers away) to Thiruvananthapuram . This enabled him to give personal attention to government affairs. He took steps to curb corruption in the government and told even
13455-431: Was the machinations of his aide Krishna Rao, who schemed with Cullen for his own personal gain. What ever the reason, the Resident's intrusion in the administration was unbearable for the young King. To compound his problems, the deaths of his elder sister, father, wife Narayani and all three children (Narayani's) made the Maharajah distraught. He increasingly sought silence and solitude, weakening his mind and body. Thus, at
13572-412: Was the trading post of spices , sandalwood and ivory . However, the ancient political and cultural history of the city was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The Chera dynasty governed the area of Malabar Coast between Alappuzha in the south to Kasaragod in the north. This included Palakkad Gap , Coimbatore , Salem , and Kolli Hills . The region around Coimbatore
13689-546: Was the visionary behind the establishment of the Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Zoo. He had a broad variety of animals, including elephants in his horse breeding centre. In the Trivandrum, stables he incorporated a menagerie and kept tigers, panthers cheetahs, deer, bears and a lioness there. It was however left to his brother Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma and the then British Resident General Cullen which resulted in
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