Get to Thiruvananthapuram before a city you
might fall in love with disappears. This, the ‘city of the sacred serpent’,
with its winding cobbled lanes, traditional red tiled wooden houses with pagoda
tops and languid pace is hardly a tourist hot spot. The capital from where the
world’s first elected Communist government governed is tucked into the
lower part of southern Kerala.
Still somewhat simple and lovely, Thiruvananthapuram (earlier Trivandrum)
is bound to sooner rather than later succumb to the disaster that passes for
urban development. A pleasant city in one the most beautiful states in India,
Thiruvananthapuram merits more than just a transit meal on the way to Kovalam
Beach.
History
The founding of Thiruvananthapuram is the story of God, lost and found. Divakara
Muni some say it was Vilwamangalam Swami, a saint who peeps out of almost all
lores of Kerala, who has played God in the city’s growth was so devoted
to Vishnu that the lord used to play with him as a toddler. Annoyed by the toddler’s
antics, the saint shooed him away, and lost Him. The distraught saint pleaded
with the Divine. Vishnu assured the saint that He would be found in the Forest
of Anantha. The saint wandered looking for the forest; he found it in the far
south, where the Lord revealed himself not as a playful child, but in His cosmic
form reclining on the endless coils of the mythical snake Anantha. Hence Thiru-anantha-puram,
the city of the cosmic snake Anantha.
Triruvanthapuram became the capital of the Raja of Travancore in 1750 when the
then Raja moved from Padmanabhapuram. The kings of Travancore, the princely
state, of which Thiruvananthapuram was a part, were great patrons of art and
literature. And they had laid down their absolute power to the presiding deity,
Padmanabaswamy, and had ruled the land as a representative of the lord. Maharaja
Swati Tirunal was a great composer and has several compositions to his credit;
Raja Ravi Varma, also of the same family, was a master painter. The kings of
Travancore started colleges for music and fine arts in Thiruvananthapuram, which
are still up and running. After Independence, Travancore and Kochi were integrated
to form the state of Thiru-Kochi, with Thiruvananthapuram as the capital. When
Kerala was formed in 1956, the city retained its capital status.
Places to See
Thiruvananthapuram is just another Indian city at first glance. Bustling, noisy
and ever changing. But once you take a closer look, the remains of the colonial
rule just pop out in every other place. Old buildings, some well planned streets,
places of worship just around the corners, the undulating landscape, shopping
places speak of by gone days. The city has a relaxed pace. And a person on a
visit just imbibes it.
Shankhumugham
This is the preferred beach for local residents. One can spend hours watching
the planes take off from the international airport and watch the ships sail
by on the horizon. There is a huge cement statue of a reclining mermaid on
the beach. The sunrise and sunset is a big draw. There are small shops which
sprout across the beach on a regular basis once evening sets in. You can get
hot sizzling vadas, shawarma's (a type of meat roll) and red hot chilli bajjis,
in addition to roasted peanuts.
Vizhinjam
Just 2 km from Kovalam, it is an ancient port. The tetra pods, put out on
the strip of beach to prevent erosion, in a way make a trip to the beach a
bit tedious. While at Vijinjam, check out the lighthouse. The steady beam
from the lighthouse still guides ships and smaller sea faring vessels from
crashing on to the rocks under water.
Velli Tourist Village
It was developed to be a proper tourist village, complete with cottages et
al, a couple of years ago. About 10 km from the city, it is somewhat a lagoon.
Come monsoon, and the narrow band of land separating the sea and the Velli
Lake is cut open. You can hire boats at the jetty and go rowing out on your
own. Paddle boats are a hit with the honeymooners and speed boats for the
more adventurous.
Kanakakunnu Palace
Atop a hillock, it was home to the Travancore Rajas. It now hosts a variety
of cultural events.
Napier Museum
Feast your eyes on bronze idols, archaeological finds, ivory carvings and
a temple chariot, or ratha. It is open between 10 am and 6 pm; Monday is a
holiday.
Sree Chithra Art Gallery
Must visit for its proud collection of Ravi Varmas, Roerichs and other famous
names. It is open between 10 am and 6 pm; Closed on Mondays.
Kuthiramalika Palace Museum
Set up by the Travancore royalty, it showcases rich paintings, jewellery,
and other royal artifacts. Situated near the Padmanabaswamy temple, it is
a favourite haunt for the movie /tele serial producers. Entrance by tickets,
available outside. It is open between 10 am and 6 pm
Excursion
Varkala
Varkala is really a temple town that is now being promoted as a beach resort
because of its location by the sea. It is less crowded than Kovalam and correspondingly,
less developed as a tourism destination. There has been some recent beachfront
development and the number of places offering herbal massages and care and yoga
lessons is on the rise. It is a decent enough stopover since it lies between
Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam from where you could go onto Alapuzzha and further
north.
Most hotels and restaurants are on the beach or on the cliffs that rise up near
the sea. Accommodation is cheap, clean and value-for-money, and usually not
air-conditioned. A lot of places have only shared bathroom facilities so check
on that before checking in. More up-market and luxurious accommodation is also
available where you’ll find in-house masseurs and a pool and air conditioning.
Most cliff-top restaurants are temporary and pretty basic. Some restaurants
in town do serve great ‘continental’ fare.
The tourist season is from December to February. Off season the prices in
food, accommodation and travel fall. The rains hit the coast in June and the
lashing continues till September. But Kerala becomes lush, vibrant and alive
in the green hued landscape.
No matter when you visit carry cottons, sandals and beachwear. Sun block
is very important, as is an umbrella in the rainy season.
The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International around 55km away. Varkala
has its own little railway station, which gets traffic from Thiruvananthapuram
and Kollam. Buses from both Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam (24 km) are frequent.
Taxis and rented chauffeur driven cars are an option, more expensive but the
most convenient. Auto-rickshaws will bring you into town from the station fairly
cheap. Motorbikes and two-wheeler scooters are available on hire on producing
something for security and a valid driver’s license
Kanyakumari
The tip of the Indian peninsula, though in the neighbouring state of Tamil
Nadu, is just 2 hours from Thiruvananthapuram. With its numerous temples,
beach, and steamer ride, Kanyakumari demands that you spend a day or two here.
Ponmudi
This hill station about 60 away is a trekker’s paradise. The tourist
information office in Thiruvananthapuram doubles up for information on Ponmudi
too.
Padmanabhapuram Palace
En route to Kanyakumari is the stunning old palace of the Travancore kings.
Visitors are allowed between 10 am and 5 pm.
Kovalam
Once a hippie paradise, Kovalam’s increasing popularity has been a major
dissuasion of late. No longer an undiscovered rural idyll, Kovalam has made
rapid strides towards resort-isation and is now one of the biggest draws to
`god’s own country’. It still has a lovely shoreline and beautiful
beaches lined with coconut trees, and night fishermen who go out for the daily
catch. So close to Trivandrum it’s a convenient hop-skip-and-jump away
from the city scene…and definitely the place to go if your prime motive
for the Kerala trip is ayurvedic massage!
The Indian Tourist Development Corporation has tried to develop an `integrated’
tourist area with a range of hotels, beachside cottages, ayurvedic hothouses,
pools and shopping complexes at the Ashoka Beach Resort. Most buses will land
up here. Prices are lower further from the beach. There is a range for every
pocket from very basic accommodation, to basic accommodation with air conditioning
and breakfast and coffee, to luxury hotels with 5 star facilities and prices.
Beachwear, light cottons, sandals and sun protection are essential luggage
to this beach town. Surfboards are available on loan for water buffs. There
are plenty of places that promise ayurvedic treatment with herbal oils but
Arsha Ayurvedic Hospital is the Real McCoy. Many hotels and independent set-ups
offer yoga classes.
The beach is lined with restaurant shacks that serve a variety: anything
from eggs and muesli to idli sambhar for breakfast and a range of seafood
thereafter. Prices (which are negotiable) and quality vary from joint to joint.
Some places serve beer.
Dining Out
Unlike Kochi, life is more relaxed in Thiruvananthapuram and eating out
is a special occasion. But take-aways are a fad in this city. Be warned that
the typical Kerala fare tends to get a bit spicy. For vegetarians, we recommend
Arul Jyothi, Kadalivanam, Arya Bhavan, and Comfort Inn Grand. Non-vegetarians
may try Kalpakavadi, Pankaj Rooftop, Ootupura, and South Park. For Chinese,
Hotel Mascot, and South Park are safe bets. In fact, both are multi-cuisine.
Shopping
For traditional Kerala offerings wood carvings, coir products, handwoven
mats try SMSM Handicrafts Emporium (on YMCA Road), Kairali, the state emporium
(opposite the Secratariat), or Gramsree (in Vazhutacaud).
If interested in traditional Kerala handloom dresses, there’s no better
place than Karalkada (in Kaithamukku, just 3kms from the city).
For branded, urban stuff Palayam Bazaar and Chalai Bazaar are the two main
marketplaces lined with showrooms of well-known brands.
The Parthas, near East Fort is a dress shop which caters to the needs of
the entire family.
For the traditional silks, visit the shops around the Padmanabhaswamy temple.
The Gurukirpa Sri Venkatrao's Silk Shop is one of the oldest. A must visit if
you love to feel and hear the rustle of soft silk. You can also check out the
Alappat house of silk and Alukas which are also near by.
Visiting
Thiruvananthapuram's equatorial climate makes it hot and humid during summer,
but a cool breeze soothes the city at night. The monsoon enters India through
Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. There are people who camp out here in the beaches
to watch the monsoon set in, late in May. Torrential rains lash the city from
June to August. The best period to visit is from October to January. Remember
to carry umbrellas, whatever the time of the year.
How to get there
By Air : Thiruvananthapuram has an international airport that
gets traffic from the Gulf countries, Sri Lanka and Maldives. It is well connected
by several domestic services from various parts of the country. 6km from the
main city, the airport is connected by local bus and pre paid taxi service.
By Train : The Himsagar Express plies once a week from Jammu
Tawi in the north of India, via Delhi to Trivandrum. Railway connectivity within
south India is far better and there are many trains from Thiruvananthapuram
to other places in the state. It is usually a good idea to book in advance but
there is a thirty days limit on that.
By Road : Connectivity by road is very good. There are daily
buses run by the state Transport Corporation to any place of note in Kerala.
Buses to neighbouring Tamil Nadu are run mainly by the Tamil Nadu Corporation
and again, it is possible to leave or arrive any day in the week. The booking
offices are at the bus stand.
