Thiruvananthapuram
Encyclopedia
Thiruvananthapuram formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the India
n state
of Kerala
and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District
. It is located on the west coast of India
near the extreme south of the mainland. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi
as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills and busy commercial alleys. With nearly 1,000,000 (one million) inhabitants as per the 2011 census, it is the largest and most populous city in Kerala; the wider urban agglomeration
has a population of more than 1 million. It is an IT hub
of the state with over 80% of the state's software exports.
The city houses several central
and state government offices and organizations. Apart from being the political nerve centre of Kerala
, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the University of Kerala, and to many science and technology institutions, the most prominent being the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
(VSSC), Technopark, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
(IIST), the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala
,Indian Institute of Molecular Materials, Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research
(IISER), and the Centre for Development Studies
. It is also considered as one among the 10 greenest cities in India.
of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple
at the centre of the city. Anantha is the serpent Shesha
on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu
reclines. This temple of Vishnu
reclining on Anantha
remains the iconic landmark of the city. It is estimated that the value of the monumental items and assets of the temple partially revealed are close to , making it the richest temple in the world. The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum until 1991, when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram.
Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient city 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 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 early rulers of the city were the Ay
s. With their fall in the 10th century, the city was taken over by the rulers of Venad
.
The rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram began with accession of Marthanda Varma
in 1729 as the founding ruler of the princely state of Travancore
(Thiruvithamkoor in the local vernacular). Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of Travancore in 1745 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram
in Kanyakumari district
. The city developed into a major intellectual and artistic centre during this period. The golden age in the city's history 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), 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 also 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 the city. The Sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904 was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. Despite not being under direct control of the British Empire
at any time, the city however featured prominently in India's freedom struggle
. The Indian National Congress
had a very active presence in the city. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was held here in 1938.
The Thiruvananthapuram Municipality came into existence in 1920. The municipality was converted into Corporation on 30 October 1940, during the period of Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, who took over in 1931. The city witnessed many-sided progress during his period. The promulgation of "Temple Entry Proclamation
" (1936) was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of the University of Travancore
in 1937, which later became the Kerala University
.
With the end of the British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popular ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi
, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi
. The king of Travancore
, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma became the Rajpramukh
of the Travancore-Cochin Union
from July 1, 1949 until October 31, 1956. When the state of Kerala
was formed on November 1, 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of the new state.
With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
(TERLS) in 1962, Thiruvananthapuram became the cradle of India's ambitious space programme. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
(VSSC) located in the outskirts of the city in 1963. Several establishments of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram.
A major milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of Technopark
—India's first IT park—in 1995. Technopark has developed into the largest IT Park in India and third largest in Asia, employing around 30,000 people over 195 companies. This placed Thiruvananthapuram on the IT map of India and it is today one of the most promising in the country in terms of competitiveness and capability.
to its west and the Western Ghats
to its east. The city spans an area of 214.86 km² (82.96 sq mi) and the greater metropolitan area spans an area of 250 km² (96.53 sq mi). 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 categorized the city in the Seismic III Zone.
Thiruvananthapuram lies on the shores of Karamana
and Killi river
s. Vellayani
, Thiruvallam and Aakulam backwaters lies in the city.
The highest point in the district
is the Agasthyarkoodam which rises 1869 m above sea level is near the city. Ponmudi
and Mukkunimala are hill-resorts near the city.
and a tropical monsoon climate
. As a result it does not experience distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature 34 °C and the mean minimum temperature is 21 °C. 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 gets heavy rainfall of around 1700 mm per year. The city also gets rain from the receding north-east monsoons which hit the city by October. The dry season sets in by December. December, January and February are the coldest months while March, April and May are the hottest. The lowest temperature recorded during winter was 15 °C, and the highest temperature recorded in summer is 39 °C.
The economy of Thiruvananthapuram city was earlier based on the tertiary sector with about 60% of the workforce being employed as government servants. Large scale industrial establishments are low compared to other south Indian state capitals like Bangalore
and Chennai
. Currently the economy is growing with the contributions from more professionals in the fields of IT, and Medical/Bio-Technology.
Thiruvananthapuram was listed as one of the top 10 cites in India on Vibrancy Index and Consumption Index by a study conducted by global financial services
firm Morgan Stanley
. The opening of many private television channels in the state made Thiruvananthapuram the home of several studios and related industries. India's first animation park Kinfra Film and Video Park
is situated here.
The city contributes 80% of software exports from the state, and was selected as the fourth hottest IT destination in India. Since the establishment of Technopark
in 1995, Thiruvananthapuram has steadily grown into a competitive IT centre. The city was rated as the best 2nd tier metro with IT
/ITES infrastructure, and second in terms of availability of human talent. Technopark houses global majors like Oracle Corporation
, Infosys
, TCS
, HCL
, Visual Graphics Computing Services, Ernst & Young Global Shared Services Center
, Allianz Cornhill, RR Donnelley, UST Global, Tata Elxsi
, IBS Software Services, NeST Software
, SunTec Business Solutions etc. The park has around 200 companies employing over 30,000 professionals. This is the first CMMI Level 4 assessed Technology Park which spreads over 330 acres, and about 4000000 sq ft (371,612.2 m²). of built-up space As Phase IV expansion, Technopark is developing 450 acres of land in Pallippuram
, 5 km north from the main campus as Technocity
.
Tourism has also contributed heavily to the economy of Thiruvananthapuram. Foreign tourists generally use Thiruvananthapuram as a hub to explore the highly promoted tourism industry of the state of Kerala
. Thiruvananthapuram is ranked first in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kerala. It is also a major destination for chartered flights to India for medical tourism
, as there are more than fifty recognised Ayurveda centres in and around the city. This is primarily due to Ayurveda's popularity in the West
. Medical tourism is further promoted by the recuperation facilities available at the beach resorts and hill station
s nearby. The city is also important for people around the world seeking help through Ayurveda
medicine and therapy. Ayurveda
resorts are coming up at a rapid pace along the International Beach of Kovalam
and Varkala
coast.There are around 20 government owned and 60 privately owned medium and large scale industrial units in Thiruvanathapuram. The major employers are the KSIDC
, Milma
, Keltron
, Travancore Titanium
and Hindustan Latex, all government owned. There are also about 30,000 small scale industrial units employing around 115,000 people. Traditional industries include handloom and coir
.
Commercial activity is low mainly due to the under-development of ports. However, this is expected to change with the construction of the Deep Water Container Transshipment
Port at Vizhinjam
. Situated close to the city, Vizhinjam is very close to international shipping routes and the east-west shipping axis and hardly require maintenance dredging. Other major organizations of economic interest are the BrahMos Aerospace
, Chithranjali Film Complex, Kinfra Apparel Park
, Kinfra Film and Video Park
, Kerala Hitech Industries (KELTECH), Kerala Automobiles Limited
and the English Indian Clays Ltd.
The state legislative assembly
and Secretariat are located here as Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala. The city is also the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram district
. The foreign missions in the city are the Consulate of Maldives
and Honorary Consulate of Russia
.
There is also a recent plea to reinstate a bench of the Kerala High Court at Ernakulam
(Cochi) in the city which was earlier cancelled in 1957 due to setting up of the High Court of Kerala at Cochin.
The city is administered by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation which headed by the Mayor and is responsible for the overall, supervision and control of the administrative functions of the Municipal Corporation. The city council is democratically elected and comprises 100 members representing the different city wards. Several agencies work under or in partnership with the Corporation including the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority
(TRIDA) and Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL).
The city comes under the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency. The city corporation area contributes to four legislative assembly seats namely Kazhakuttam, Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapuram, and Nemom
.
The city police is headed by a Police Commissioner
, an officer of Deputy Inspector General rank in the Indian Police Service
.
The city is divided into three police sub-divisions headed by Assistant Commissioners. There are also two traffic sub-divisions. A women's cell and a narcotics control cell also operate in the city. The other units of Thiruvananthapuram city police
include Crime Detachment, City Special Branch, Dog Squad, Mounted Police, District Crime Records Bureau, Foreigners Registration Office (FRO), Tourist Police and District Armed Reserve. 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 Head Quarters (GHQ) located at Pallipuram. There is also a large army cantonment in Pangode where some regiments of the Indian Army
are based.
by Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB)
. The district is divided into three circles: Transmission circle, Thiruvananthapuram city and Kattakkada. Domestic consumers account for 43% of the total power consumption, or 90 million units per month. Thiruvananthapuram district has one 220 kV, nine 110 kV and six 66 kV electrical substation
s. A 400 kV substation has just been commissioned by the Power Grid Corporation and will ensure high-quality power supply to the city.
The water supply schemes cover 100% within the city limits. It is 84% of the urban and 69% of the rural population, when the district is considered. Peppara and Aruvikkara dams are the main sources of water for distribution in the capital city. The new project plan for improving the water supply with Japan
ese aid covers Thiruvananthapuram city and six suburban panchayats having urban characteristics.
The sewerage system in the city was implemented at the time of the Travancore Kingdom, and modernised in 1938. This scheme for the disposal of sullage and sewage is an underground system. The whole system is controlled by Kerala Water Authority now. The city area is divided into seven blocks for the execution of the sewerage system, two commissioned in the 1990s and two after 2000. The sewerage is pumped to a stilling chamber at the Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) located at Valiyathura, and is disposed through sewage farming. The Dairy Development Department maintains this sewage farm, and fodder cultivation is done here. There is no revenue generation from this scheme, and the sewerage system in the city is a service provided to the residents.
Trivandrum is also famous for being the Evergreen city of India.
Kanyakumari
, Thiruvattar
, Padmanabhapuram Palace
and Tirpparappu waterfalls, are also near the city, in the adjoining Kanyakumari District
(Nagercoil
), in the state of Tamil Nadu.
The intra-city public transport in the city is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC
, though there are significant numbers of private buses plying within the city limits.
The NH-47, which runs from Salem to Kanyakumari
, passes through the city. It connects important southern cities such as Coimbatore
and Salem in north direction and Nagercoil
in south direction. The Main Central Road
(MC Road) which is an arterial State Highway in Kerala and designated as SH 1 starts from NH-47 at Kesavadasapuram
in the city.
Within the city, city buses, taxis and autorickshaws provide means of transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favored means of personal transportation. The intra-city public transport is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC
(Kerala State Road Transport Corporation). There are also bus service operated by private operators and provides access within city limits and beyond. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad. These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and electronic ticketing mechanisms. The Central bus station
is located Thampanoor
, opposite Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. It connects Thiruvananthapuram with other parts of Kerala as well as other states. The central city bus terminal is located 1 km away at East Fort
(Kizhakke kotta), near the Padmanabha Swamy temple.
Thiruvananthapuram comes under the Southern Railway
zone of the Indian Railways
. There are five railway stations within the city limits including the Thiruvananthapuram central station. Thiruvananthapuram Pettah
, Kochuveli
and Veli stations are located towards north direction and Thiruvananthapuram Nemom
is located in south direction from the central station. The Central railway station
is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, and is about 5 km from the new international air terminal and nearly 8 km from the domestic air terminal. It is the largest and busiest railway station in the state. Kochuveli railway station
is developed to ease congestion on central station and it act as satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central. Some of the long distance trains from the city operates from this station. The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express connects the city to New Delhi
, the capital of India. The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities in India such as New Delhi
, Mumbai
, Chennai
, Bangalore
and Hyderabad. Thiruvananthapuram is also the first major South Indian city on the longest train route in India, Kanyakumari to Jammu
.
, Singapore
, Maldives
and Sri Lanka
and is a gateway to the tourism-rich state of Kerala
. The airport is qualified for all-weather and night operations. One of the major advantage of the airport is the prevailing weather at the location that does not go to extremes, allowing flight operations without disruption year around. The International terminal of the airport is approximately 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) due west and the domestic terminal is approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) from the central business district
. The importance of the airport is also due to the fact that it is the southernmost airport in India and also the closest option for neighboring countries like Maldives
and Sri Lanka
, and the only option to Maldives from India. Also, apart from the regular scheduled flights, charter flights, primarily carrying tourists, also serve the airport.
at Vizhinjam
has begun, which is expected to be completed within one year and the work on the terminal is to begin within a year. It is to be built in three phases, and expected to be a key competitor in the ports business (especially for container transshipment), with the international shipping lanes between Europe and the Far East lying very close to the port, and also with major ports like Colombo
, Kochi and Tuticorin in close proximity.
The exponential growth of the services and IT-based sectors coupled with its prominence as the state capital and tourist center has caused considerable strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To ease the strain, several construction projects are underway and completed including the construction of flyover
s and under passes. In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane dual carriage ways are being built.
The city has a population of 744,739 according to the 2001 census (nearly 1.1 million in Nov 2006). Within the city, the density of population is about 5,284 people per square kilometer. The district has a literacy rate of 89.36%. With the sex ratio of 1,037 females to every 1,000 males, there are more women in Thiruvananthapuram than men. The wider urban agglomeration registered a population of about one million in 2001.
In October 2010, the area of the city was increased from 86 wards to 100 wards by adding Sreekaryam, Vattiyoorkavu, Kudappanakunnu, Vizhinjam and Kazhakuttam panchayats into the corporation. The city has now an area of 214.86 km² and a population of 9,57,730 inhabitants with 4,67,739 males and 4,89,991 females.
Hindus
comprise 65% of the population, Christians
are about 18% of the population, and Muslims
are about 15% of the populace. The remaining 2% of the population practice other religions. The major language spoken is Malayalam
. English
, Tamil
, and Hindi
are also widely understood. There is also a prominent minority of Tamil
speakers and a few Tulu
and Konkani
speakers.
Unemployment
is a serious issue in Thiruvananthapuram, as it is in the whole of Kerala. The increase in the unemployment rate was from 8.8% in 1998 to 34.3% in 2003, thus registering a 25.5% absolute and a 289.7% relative increase in five years. Thiruvananthapuram taluk
ranks third in Kerala with 36.3% of its population unemployed. The in-migration of the unemployed from other districts also boosts this high unemployment rate. Thiruvananthapuram has a high suicide
rate, which went up from 17.2 per lakh
in 1995 to 38.5 per lakh in 2002. In 2004, the rate came down slightly to 36.6 per lakh. As per 2001 census, the populace below the poverty line in the city was 11,667. A BPL survey indicated the urban poor population as 120,367. Majority of these populace lives in slums and coastal fishing areas.
This apparent paradox—high human development and low economic development—is visible in the entire state of Kerala, and is often dubbed as the Kerala phenomenon or the Kerala model
of development.
The citizens of Thiruvananthapuram are sometimes referred to as "Trivandrumites" by some tourism sites and blog
ging community, though the term is not in common use. The cultural background of Thiruvananthapuram originates from the efforts of the rulers of erstwhile Travancore, who took an active interest in the development of arts and culture. Thiruvananthapuram has produced several great artists, the most famous ones being Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, Irayimman Thampi
and Raja Ravi Varma
.
Maharaja Swathi Thirunal was a great composer and played a vital role in the development of Carnatic music
. There is a music college in his name in the city – Swathi Thirunal College of Music
. Raja Ravi Varma
was a famous painter of international renown. His contributions to Indian art
are substantial. Most of his famous paintings are preserved at the Sree Chithra Art Gallery in the city. The Padmanabha Swamy Temple and the fort surrounding it, the Napier Museum
and Zoo, the VJT hall, Palayam Mosque and Church are among the prominent heritage buildings in the city. The Veli lake and Shankumugham beach
are home to various sculptures of the noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman
. Many people, including Mahatma Gandhi
have admired the city's greenery.
Thiruvananthapuram appears as a laid back and quiet city to a casual observer. However there are considerable cultural activities in the city. The cultural activities are more during the festival season of Onam
in August/September, and during the tourist season later in the year. The state government organises the tourism week celebrations every year during the Onam with cultural events conducted at various centres in the city. The other major events include the annual flower show, the Attukal Pongala
, the Aaraat of Padmanabha Swamy Temple, the Beemapally Uroos, Vettucaud Perunaal
etc. The CVN Kalari at East Fort is a well known centre for training in Kerala's indigenous martial art—the Kalaripayattu. The Margi centre offers training in many of Kerala's traditional arts including Kathakali
.
The general cuisine of the people is Keralite cuisine
, which is characterised by an abundance of coconut
and spice
s. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese
and North Indian
cuisines are popular. Fast food
culture is also very prominent in the city.
Thiruvananthapuram has numerous libraries, the prominent ones being the State Central Library
(Trivandrum Public library
, Est. 1829), the University Library, Thiruvananthapuram Children's Library, Manuscripts Library and the Centre for Development Studies Library. The British Library (Est. 1964) was located very near to the Government Secretariat adjacent to the YMCA
Hostel.
Thiruvananthapuram is a major academic hub. The University of Kerala is located here. The Regional Headquarters of Indira Gandhi National Open University
(IGNOU) is also situated in Trivandrum. There are many professional education colleges including fifteen engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda colleges, two Homeopathy colleges, six other medical related colleges, and two law colleges in the city and its suburbs. Trivandrum Medical College
is being upgraded to the status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS). The College of Engineering, Trivandrum
, Government Engineering College, and Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering are the main engineering colleges in the city. The Asian School of Business
and IIITM-K are two of the management study
institutions in the city, both situated inside Technopark
. The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology is situated in the city. Centre for Development Studies
and Centre for Development of Imaging Technology
(C-DIT), which does research, development and training in imaging technology, are located within city limits.
The schools in the city are classified as Aided, Unaided and Government schools. The government schools are run directly by the state government and follow the syllabus prescribed by the state government. The aided schools also follow the state syllabus. In addition to this, there are four Kendriya Vidyalaya
s run directly by the Central government, which follow the CBSE syllabus, and private schools run by educational trusts or boards which follow CBSE and/or ICSE
syllabus and/or NIOS
syllabus and/or state syllabus. The first International school in Kerala, The Trivandrum International School
, was started in the outskirts of the city in August 2003.
The literacy rate in Thiruvananthapuram, according to the 2001 census, is 89.36 percent; 92.68 percent among males and 86.26 percent among females.
, information technology
, bio-technology, and medicine
. It is home to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
(VSSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
(LPSC), Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
(TERLS), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
(RGCB), Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute
, ER&DC – CDAC, CSIR
– National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Free Software Foundation of India (FSFI), Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology
(SCTIMST), Centre for Earth Science Studies
(CESS), Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Priyadarsini Planetarium, The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library
, Kerala Highway Research Institute, Kerala Fisheries Research Institute, etc. A scientific institution named National centre for molecular materials, for the research and development of biomedical devices and space electronics is to be established in Thiruvananthapuram. College of Architecture Trivandrum(CAT), which specialise only on the architecture course, is another institution proposed to set up in the suburbs of the city.
Daily newspaper
s are available in English
and Malayalam. The English newspapers with editions from Thiruvananthapuram are The New Indian Express
and The Hindu
. The major Malayalam newspapers are Mathrubhumi
, Malayala Manorama
, Kerala Kaumudi
, Deshabhimani, Janmabhumi
, Keralakaumudi Flash and Madhyamam
.
Most of the Malayalam TV channels are based in Thiruvananthapuram. The government owned Doordarshan
began broadcasting from here in 1981. Asianet
, the first private Malayalam channel, began its telecasts in 1991. The other channels now based in Thiruvananthapuram are Amrita TV
, Kairali TV
, Kairali We (Youth channel of Kairali), JaiHind TV
, Asianet Plus (Youth channel of Asianet) and People (News and current affairs channel of Kairali TV). The local cable services are provided by Asianet Satellite Communications Limited, Connecttel Communications Pvt Ltd, Trivandrum Cable Network Pvt Ltd and Siti Cable and they provide a bouquet of local channels in addition to all the Indian channels. DTH
services are available through Doordarshan
Direct Plus, Tata Sky
, SUN Direct, Big TV
, Airtel digital TV
, Videocon d2h
and Dish TV
.
All India Radio
has an AM (1161 MHz) and an FM (Ananthapuri FM; 101.9 MHz) station for the city. FM radio channels broadcast from Thiruvananthapuram are Ananthapuri FM (AIR) 101.9 MHz, Gyanvani from IGNOU 105.6 MHz, Big FM 92.7 MHz, Club FM 94.3
MHz, Radio Mirchi
98.3 MHz, Red FM 93.5
MHz and Radio DC
(Low power CRS) 90.4 MHz.
Thiruvananthapuram city contains the largest number of theaters in Kerala. There are over 18 cinema halls which screen films in Malayalam, Tamil
, English
and Hindi
. There are also two film studios in the city—Chithranjali and Merryland. The Kinfra Film and Video Park, located near the Technopark, is one of the most advanced film and animation production centres in India. Leading firms like Prasad Labs have set up their facilities here. The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is held in November/December every year and is acknowledged as one of the leading events of its kind in India.
The wireline telephone
services are provided by BSNL, Reliance
and Tata Indicom
. The main GSM networks operating in the city are BSNL CellOne
, Airtel, Aircel
, Tata Docomo
, Uninor
, Idea Cellular
, Vodafone
, Reliance
, Videocon
and Virgin Mobile
. The main CDMA providers are Reliance
, MTS and Tata Indicom
. The number of mobile phone connections has increased exponentially since the late 90s. Major broadband internet services are provided by BSNL Broadband
, Asianet Dataline and Siti Cable
. Private providers like Reliance
, Tata Communications (VSNL)
, Airtel and Satyam also have their presence in the city. The major dial-up internet providers are BSNL NetOne, Kerala Online and KelNet among others. Thiruvananthapuram also holds the distinction of having been the first 100% Digital SSA (Secondary Switching Area) in India.
The most popular games are Football
and Cricket
. Basketball
, Badminton
and Volleyball
are also popular, mostly in schools. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. The HQ complex of KCA, has advance facilities including two practice turfs with nets, bowling machines, gymnasium with multi-gym and equipment for aerobic training, lecture hall and library, an astro-turf indoor coaching facility, fully furnished accommodation for coaches and players, a physiotherapy clinic, functional office facilities and guest rooms.
The Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium
, in the heart of the city, is a prominent football stadium and has hosted both national and international level matches. The University Stadium
has hosted two international cricket matches. This stadium is under the University of Kerala and is equipped with synthetic tracks for athletics games. The Central Stadium, which has facilities for athletics, football, basketball, volleyball and cricket practice nets, is situated on the eastern side of the Government Secretariat. The Jimmy George Indoor Stadium
, the GV Raja Sports School and Lakshmi Bhai National College for Physical Education (LNCPE) are the other major sports establishments in the city.
The city has a golf course
known as Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club
. It is one of the oldest golf course in India, more than 150 years old. The city also has a Tennis Club (Trivandrum Tennis Club/TTC) both located at Kowdiar. The city fields two football clubs--SBT
-Thiruvananthapuram and Titanium—in the second division of the National Football League. The city also has a fully equipped modern swimming pool located near the Jimmy George
Sports Complex at Vellayambalam. Many state level and national level swimming competitions are held in this complex. It also holds coaching camps for those who are interested in learning swimming.
, Thiruvananthapuram is a strategically important city in Southern India
. Being the largest city in India’s deep south, it is important for both military logistics and civil aviation in the southern part of the country. It is the headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force
. The city is very close to the international shipping route and east-west shipping axis. Also, it falls under the international air route.
Due to the strategic importance of the city, the Indian Air Force authorities have planned to establish an aerospace command in SAC.
The plan for setting up a new "Tri-Service Command", which will integrate all the three forces under a single command, is also in the pipeline.
Being the Indian city with the closest air link to the small island nation of Maldives
and also Sri Lanka
, the city’s medical and health infrastructure caters to the needs of the patients from both countries, especially Maldives
. Thiruvananthapuram also provides a key link in the movement of goods and passengers to and from southern parts of Tamilnadu into Kerala, the state border being just 30 km away from the city centre.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District
Thiruvananthapuram district
Thiruvananthapuram District is the southernmost district of the Indian state of Kerala. It came into existence in the year 1957. The headquarters is the city of Thiruvananthapuram which is also the capital city of Kerala....
. It is located on the west coast of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
near the extreme south of the mainland. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills and busy commercial alleys. With nearly 1,000,000 (one million) inhabitants as per the 2011 census, it is the largest and most populous city in Kerala; the wider urban agglomeration
Thiruvananthapuram metropolitan area
-Trivandrum Capital Region:The Trivandrum Capital Region or TCR is the area proposed by TRIDA by joining adjacent municipalities of Neyyattinkara, Varkala and Attingal with Thiruvananthapuram city. This was proposed for planning the development of the capital region of Kerala more effectively...
has a population of more than 1 million. It is an IT hub
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
of the state with over 80% of the state's software exports.
The city houses several central
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
and state government offices and organizations. Apart from being the political nerve centre of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the University of Kerala, and to many science and technology institutions, the most prominent being the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation , focusing on rocket and space vehicles for India's satellite programme...
(VSSC), Technopark, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology is India's national institute for the study and development of space science, located at Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It was inaugurated on 14 September 2007 by Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, the then Chairman ISRO...
(IIST), the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala
Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala
Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala is an institution that offers courses in science, technology and management...
,Indian Institute of Molecular Materials, Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research
IISER Thiruvananthapuram
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram , often abbreviated to IISER Thiruvananthapuram or IISER-TVM, is an institution of higher education established by the Government of India in 2008 based on the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Council of India...
(IISER), and the Centre for Development Studies
Centre for Development Studies
The Centre for Development Studies , Trivandrum, Kerala, India is a premier social science research institution. Over the years it has established a tradition of interdisciplinary research on development problems in India. Its main objective is to promote research, teaching and training in...
. It is also considered as one among the 10 greenest cities in India.
Origin of name
The city gets its name from the word, Thiru-anantha-puram, meaning the "Abode of Lord Ananta". The name derives from the deityDeity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple
Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple
Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Thiruvananthapuram, India. The shrine is currently run by a trust headed by the royal family of Travancore. The temple is one of 108 Divya Desams – principal centres of worship of the deity in Vaishnavism...
at the centre of the city. Anantha is the serpent Shesha
Shesha
In Hindu tradition, Shesha or Sheshanaag is the king of all nagas, one of the primal beings of creation, and according to the Bhagavata Purana, an Avatar of the Supreme God known as Sankarshan. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the Universe on his hoods and to constantly...
on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
reclines. This temple of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
reclining on Anantha
Shesha
In Hindu tradition, Shesha or Sheshanaag is the king of all nagas, one of the primal beings of creation, and according to the Bhagavata Purana, an Avatar of the Supreme God known as Sankarshan. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the Universe on his hoods and to constantly...
remains the iconic landmark of the city. It is estimated that the value of the monumental items and assets of the temple partially revealed are close to , making it the richest temple in the world. The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum until 1991, when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram.
History
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
landed in a port called Ophir (now Poovar
Poovar
Poovar is a small coastal village in the Trivandrum district of Kerala state, south India. This village is almost at the southern tip of Trivandrum and there is only one last village Pozhiyoor which mark the end of kerala. This village has a beautiful beach which attracts tourists. There are also...
) in Thiruvananthapuram in 1036 BCE. The city was the trading post of spices, sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
and ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
. However, the ancient political and cultural history of the city was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The early rulers of the city were the Ay
Ay kingdom
The Ay was the earliest ruling dynasty of the southern parts of present-day Kerala, south India. The Ay kings claimed descent from Yadavas or Ayar....
s. With their fall in the 10th century, the city was taken over by the rulers of Venad
Venad
Venad Swarupam was one of the three prominent late medieval Hindu feudal kingdoms on Malabar Coast, south India, along with Kingdom of Calicut and Kingdom of Cannanore. In the early 14th century, Venad ruler Ravi Varma Kulasekhara had established a short-lived supremacy over southern India...
.
The rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram began with accession of Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma , was the founder of the Indian Hindu feudal kingdom of Travancore from Venad SwaroopamHe ruled from 1729 till his death in 1758, having succeeded his maternal uncle Dharma Raja.King Marthanda Varma is usually credited as the "founder of Kingdom of Travancore" from...
in 1729 as the founding ruler of the princely state of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
(Thiruvithamkoor in the local vernacular). Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of Travancore in 1745 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram
Padmanabhapuram
Padmanabhapuram a city and a municipality near Thuckalay in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-History:Padmanabhapuram was the old capital of the princely state of Travancore in India...
in Kanyakumari district
Kanyakumari District
Kanyakumari District ) is a district of Tamil Nadu state, India and is the southernmost land area of mainland India.The district is the second most urbanised district in Tamilnadu, next only to Chennai and ahead of Coimbatore. It also has the highest literacy and education levels in the...
. The city developed into a major intellectual and artistic centre during this period. The golden age in the city's history was during the mid 19th century under the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal
Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharaja of the state of Travancore , in India. He reigned under the regency of his mother Maharani Gowri Lakshmi Bayi from 1813 till 1815 and henceforth under the regency of his aunt Maharani Gowri Parvati Bayi from 1815 till 1829...
and Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal
Ayilyam Thirunal
Maharajah Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma was the ruler of the princely state of Travancore in India from 1860 to 1880. His reign was highly successful with Travancore gaining the appellation of "model state of India"...
. This era saw the establishment of the first English school (1834), the Observatory (1837), the General Hospital (1839), the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library
The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library
The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library , in the University of Kerala, is one of the leading centres of Indological Studies in India. This world recognised institute, situated in Thiruvananthapuram , does research in fields connected with manuscripts...
and the University College (1873). The first mental hospital in the state was also 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 the city. The Sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904 was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. Despite not being under direct control of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
at any time, the city however featured prominently in India's freedom struggle
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
. The Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
had a very active presence in the city. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was held here in 1938.
The Thiruvananthapuram Municipality came into existence in 1920. The municipality was converted into Corporation on 30 October 1940, during the period of Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, who took over in 1931. The city witnessed many-sided progress during his period. The promulgation of "Temple Entry Proclamation
Temple Entry Proclamation
The Temple Entry Proclamation issued by Maharaja Shri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma and his Dewan Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer in 1936 abolished the ban on low-caste people or avarnas from entering Hindu Temples in the state of Travancore .The edict is as follows:Today, the Temple Entry...
" (1936) was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of the University of Travancore
Kerala University
The University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is an affiliating university located in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. It was established in 1937, long before the birth of the state of Kerala in India...
in 1937, which later became the Kerala University
Kerala University
The University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is an affiliating university located in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. It was established in 1937, long before the birth of the state of Kerala in India...
.
With the end of the British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popular ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi
Travancore-Cochin
Travancore-Cochin or Thiru-Kochi is a former state of India . It was created on 1 July 1949 by the merger of two former princely states, the kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin....
, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
. The king of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma became the Rajpramukh
Rajpramukh
Rajpramukh was an administrative title in India which existed from India's independence in 1947 until 1956. Rajpramukhs were the appointed governors of certain of India's provinces and states....
of the Travancore-Cochin Union
Travancore-Cochin
Travancore-Cochin or Thiru-Kochi is a former state of India . It was created on 1 July 1949 by the merger of two former princely states, the kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin....
from July 1, 1949 until October 31, 1956. When the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
was formed on November 1, 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of the new state.
With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station is an Indian spaceport, operated by the Indian Space Research Organization. It is located in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram which is near the southern tip of India, very close to earth's magnetic equator...
(TERLS) in 1962, Thiruvananthapuram became the cradle of India's ambitious space programme. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation , focusing on rocket and space vehicles for India's satellite programme...
(VSSC) located in the outskirts of the city in 1963. Several establishments of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram.
A major milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of Technopark
Technopark Kerala
Technopark is a technology park in Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala, India. The park is dedicated to IT ventures. It is the first and largest technology park in India....
—India's first IT park—in 1995. Technopark has developed into the largest IT Park in India and third largest in Asia, employing around 30,000 people over 195 companies. This placed Thiruvananthapuram on the IT map of India and it is today one of the most promising in the country in terms of competitiveness and capability.
Geography and climate
Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills by the sea shore and is located at 8.5°N 76.9°E on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India. The city situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by Arabian SeaArabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
to its west and the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
to its east. The city spans an area of 214.86 km² (82.96 sq mi) and the greater metropolitan area spans an area of 250 km² (96.53 sq mi). The average elevation of the city is 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea level. The Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
has identified Thiruvananthapuram as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorized the city in the Seismic III Zone.
Thiruvananthapuram lies on the shores of Karamana
Karamana
Karamana is a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram , the capital city of Kerala, India. It is one of the most densely populated, but green part of Thiruvananthapuram. The land of Karamana is made fertile by the river, Karamana River which starts from the southern tip of the Western Ghats at "Agastyakoodam"...
and Killi river
Killi river
Killi river, also called Killiyar, the main tributary of Karamana River, originates at Panavur in Nedumangad taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district. The river flows through the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city and merges with Karamana River at Pallathukadavu. Attukal Temple is situated on the banks...
s. Vellayani
Vellayani Lake
Vellayani Lake, or Vellayani Kayal as known in local language, is the largest fresh water lake in Thiruvananthapuram district, of Kerala, India.-Location:...
, Thiruvallam and Aakulam backwaters lies in the city.
The highest point in the district
Thiruvananthapuram district
Thiruvananthapuram District is the southernmost district of the Indian state of Kerala. It came into existence in the year 1957. The headquarters is the city of Thiruvananthapuram which is also the capital city of Kerala....
is the Agasthyarkoodam which rises 1869 m above sea level is near the city. Ponmudi
Ponmudi
Ponmudi is a hillstation in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala in South India. Its located 61 km north-east of Trivandrum city at an altitude of 1100 m. It is a part of the Western Ghats mountain range that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea.-Tourism:Ponmudi is connected to...
and Mukkunimala are hill-resorts near the city.
Climate
The city has a climate that borders between a tropical savanna climateTropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories "Aw" and '"As."...
and a tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate in climate classification, is a relatively rare type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category "Am."Tropical monsoon climates have monthly...
. As a result it does not experience distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature 34 °C and the mean minimum temperature is 21 °C. The humidity is high and rises to about 90% during the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season. Thiruvananthapuram is the first city along the path of the south-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. The city gets heavy rainfall of around 1700 mm per year. The city also gets rain from the receding north-east monsoons which hit the city by October. The dry season sets in by December. December, January and February are the coldest months while March, April and May are the hottest. The lowest temperature recorded during winter was 15 °C, and the highest temperature recorded in summer is 39 °C.
Economy
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
and Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. Currently the economy is growing with the contributions from more professionals in the fields of IT, and Medical/Bio-Technology.
Thiruvananthapuram was listed as one of the top 10 cites in India on Vibrancy Index and Consumption Index by a study conducted by global financial services
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
firm Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
. The opening of many private television channels in the state made Thiruvananthapuram the home of several studios and related industries. India's first animation park Kinfra Film and Video Park
Kinfra Film and Video Park
Kinfra Film and Video Park is India’s first industrial park catering exclusively to the infotainment industry has matured into a complete ecosystem for the digital animation and cinema sector...
is situated here.
The city contributes 80% of software exports from the state, and was selected as the fourth hottest IT destination in India. Since the establishment of Technopark
Technopark Kerala
Technopark is a technology park in Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala, India. The park is dedicated to IT ventures. It is the first and largest technology park in India....
in 1995, Thiruvananthapuram has steadily grown into a competitive IT centre. The city was rated as the best 2nd tier metro with IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
/ITES infrastructure, and second in terms of availability of human talent. Technopark houses global majors like Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
, Infosys
Infosys
Infosys Limited, formerly Infosys Technologies Limited is a global technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second largest IT exporter in India with 133,560 employees as of March 2011. It has offices in 33 countries and development centers in India, China,...
, TCS
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest provider of information technology in Asia and second largest provider of business process outsourcing services in India...
, HCL
HCL Technologies
HCL Technologies Limited is a leading global IT services company headquartered in Noida, India. It is primarily engaged in providing a range of software services, business process outsourcing and infrastructure services. HCL Technologies is fourth largest IT company in India and is ranked 48 in...
, Visual Graphics Computing Services, Ernst & Young Global Shared Services Center
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
, Allianz Cornhill, RR Donnelley, UST Global, Tata Elxsi
Tata elxsi
- Introduction : is a technology-led design services company and part of the $70 billion Tata Group. Headquartered in Bangalore and with a global delivery footprint through offices and centers in India, the US, the UK, Japan and Germany, Tata Elxsi is a company focused on delivering outsourced...
, IBS Software Services, NeST Software
NeST Software
NeST Software is a technology company which offers customized software and hardware development services for engineering applications and product development services for customers worldwide. NeST Software, is a division of SFO Technologies and part of the NeST Group of companies...
, SunTec Business Solutions etc. The park has around 200 companies employing over 30,000 professionals. This is the first CMMI Level 4 assessed Technology Park which spreads over 330 acres, and about 4000000 sq ft (371,612.2 m²). of built-up space As Phase IV expansion, Technopark is developing 450 acres of land in Pallippuram
Pallippuram, Thiruvananthapuram
Pallippuram is a village in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala.-Location:Pallippuram is located on National Highway 47, 7 km north of Kazhakkoottam....
, 5 km north from the main campus as Technocity
Technocity, Trivandrum
Technocity is a technology park and integrated township in Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala, India dedicated to electronics, software, and other Information Technology ventures...
.
Tourism has also contributed heavily to the economy of Thiruvananthapuram. Foreign tourists generally use Thiruvananthapuram as a hub to explore the highly promoted tourism industry of the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. Thiruvananthapuram is ranked first in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kerala. It is also a major destination for chartered flights to India for medical tourism
Medical tourism
Medical tourism is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of travelling across international borders to obtain health care...
, as there are more than fifty recognised Ayurveda centres in and around the city. This is primarily due to Ayurveda's popularity in the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. Medical tourism is further promoted by the recuperation facilities available at the beach resorts and hill station
Hill station
A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The term was used mostly in colonial Asia , but also in Africa , for towns founded by European colonial rulers as refuges from the summer heat, up where temperatures are cooler...
s nearby. The city is also important for people around the world seeking help through Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
medicine and therapy. Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
resorts are coming up at a rapid pace along the International Beach of Kovalam
Kovalam
Kovalam is a beach town on the Arabian Sea in Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India. It is located around 13 km from the down town of Trivandrum.-Etymology:...
and Varkala
Varkala
Varkala is a coastal town and municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located 50 kilometres north-west of Thiruvananthapuram and 37 km south-west of Kollam city.Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to...
coast.There are around 20 government owned and 60 privately owned medium and large scale industrial units in Thiruvanathapuram. The major employers are the KSIDC
Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation
Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. is the industrial and investment promotion agency of the Government of Kerala , for the promotion and development of medium and large scale units in the State of Kerala...
, Milma
Milma
The Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation or Milma started its operation in 1980 with its head office at Thiruvananthapuram. It was started under the Indo-Swiss project. The project was launched in 1963 on the basis of a bilateral agreement executed between the Swiss Confederation and the...
, Keltron
Keltron
Keltron, Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Limited, is a public sector electronics company located in Kerala, a state in India. It is headquartered at the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram...
, Travancore Titanium
Travancore Titanium
Travancore Titanium Products Ltd , is the leading manufacturer of anatase grade titanium dioxide in India. The company was incorporated in 1946 at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India on the initiative of Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer....
and Hindustan Latex, all government owned. There are also about 30,000 small scale industrial units employing around 115,000 people. Traditional industries include handloom and coir
Coir
Coir is a natural fibre extracted from the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, mattresses etc. Technically coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. Other uses of brown coir are in upholstery...
.
Commercial activity is low mainly due to the under-development of ports. However, this is expected to change with the construction of the Deep Water Container Transshipment
Vizhinjam International Seaport
Vizhinjam International Seaport is an International deepwater multi-Purpose Shipping Hub coming up at Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala...
Port at Vizhinjam
Vizhinjam
Vizhinjam is a locality of Thiruvananthapuram city in the Indian state of Kerala. Kovalam beach is just 3 km from Vizhinjam. The areas in and around Vizhinjam are known for its Ayurvedic treatment centers and internationally acclaimed beach resorts. As of 2001, the population was 18,566...
. Situated close to the city, Vizhinjam is very close to international shipping routes and the east-west shipping axis and hardly require maintenance dredging. Other major organizations of economic interest are the BrahMos Aerospace
BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited
The BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organization of India and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia under BrahMos Aerospace...
, Chithranjali Film Complex, Kinfra Apparel Park
Kinfra Apparel Park
Kinfra International Apparel Park is located at Thiruvananthapuram , the capital city of Kerala state in India. KIAP provides infrastructure and other related facilities for the garment manufacturing units. This park is operated by KINFRA , a public sector agency in the state...
, Kinfra Film and Video Park
Kinfra Film and Video Park
Kinfra Film and Video Park is India’s first industrial park catering exclusively to the infotainment industry has matured into a complete ecosystem for the digital animation and cinema sector...
, Kerala Hitech Industries (KELTECH), Kerala Automobiles Limited
Kerala Automobiles Limited
Kerala Automobiles Limited is a public sector automobile manufacturing company in Kerala, India. The KAL, located in Thiruvananthapuram, undertakes the manufacturing and marketing various models of Three Wheelers...
and the English Indian Clays Ltd.
Administration and Law
Kerala Legislative Assembly
The Kerala Legislative Assembly more popularly known as Niyamasabha , is the law making body of Kerala, one of the 28 States in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives and one nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community...
and Secretariat are located here as Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala. The city is also the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram district
Thiruvananthapuram district
Thiruvananthapuram District is the southernmost district of the Indian state of Kerala. It came into existence in the year 1957. The headquarters is the city of Thiruvananthapuram which is also the capital city of Kerala....
. The foreign missions in the city are the Consulate of Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
and Honorary Consulate of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
There is also a recent plea to reinstate a bench of the Kerala High Court at Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
(Cochi) in the city which was earlier cancelled in 1957 due to setting up of the High Court of Kerala at Cochin.
The city is administered by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation which headed by the Mayor and is responsible for the overall, supervision and control of the administrative functions of the Municipal Corporation. The city council is democratically elected and comprises 100 members representing the different city wards. Several agencies work under or in partnership with the Corporation including the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority
Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority
Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority , commonly abbreviated as TRIDA, is a body of the Government of Kerala that is responsible for the infrastructure development of the Thiruvananthapuram Metropolitan Region...
(TRIDA) and Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL).
center>Thiruvananthapuram City officials
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The city comes under the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency. The city corporation area contributes to four legislative assembly seats namely Kazhakuttam, Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapuram, and Nemom
Nemom
Nemom is a suburb of the city of Trivandrum , capital of Kerala state, India. It lies 8 km to the south of the city center, on the main arterial highway leading to Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India. Nemom now falls within the municipal corporation of Trivandrum, though partly exclusive...
.
The city police is headed by a Police Commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
, an officer of Deputy Inspector General rank in the Indian Police Service
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
.
The city is divided into three police sub-divisions headed by Assistant Commissioners. There are also two traffic sub-divisions. A women's cell and a narcotics control cell also operate in the city. The other units of Thiruvananthapuram city police
Thiruvananthapuram City Police
The Thiruvananthapuram City Police is the police force of the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation within the limits of Thiruvananthapuram....
include Crime Detachment, City Special Branch, Dog Squad, Mounted Police, District Crime Records Bureau, Foreigners Registration Office (FRO), Tourist Police and District Armed Reserve. 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 Head Quarters (GHQ) located at Pallipuram. There is also a large army cantonment in Pangode where some regiments of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
are based.
Infrastructure
The city is fully electrifiedElectricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
by Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB)
Kerala State Electricity Board
Kerala State Electricity Board is a public sector agency under the Government of Kerala, India, that generates and distributes the electricity supply in the state...
. The district is divided into three circles: Transmission circle, Thiruvananthapuram city and Kattakkada. Domestic consumers account for 43% of the total power consumption, or 90 million units per month. Thiruvananthapuram district has one 220 kV, nine 110 kV and six 66 kV electrical substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
s. A 400 kV substation has just been commissioned by the Power Grid Corporation and will ensure high-quality power supply to the city.
The water supply schemes cover 100% within the city limits. It is 84% of the urban and 69% of the rural population, when the district is considered. Peppara and Aruvikkara dams are the main sources of water for distribution in the capital city. The new project plan for improving the water supply with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese aid covers Thiruvananthapuram city and six suburban panchayats having urban characteristics.
The sewerage system in the city was implemented at the time of the Travancore Kingdom, and modernised in 1938. This scheme for the disposal of sullage and sewage is an underground system. The whole system is controlled by Kerala Water Authority now. The city area is divided into seven blocks for the execution of the sewerage system, two commissioned in the 1990s and two after 2000. The sewerage is pumped to a stilling chamber at the Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) located at Valiyathura, and is disposed through sewage farming. The Dairy Development Department maintains this sewage farm, and fodder cultivation is done here. There is no revenue generation from this scheme, and the sewerage system in the city is a service provided to the residents.
Tourism
Trivandrum is also a tourist hot-spot for both domestic and international tourists.Being the capital of Kerala, often known as "God's own country", Trivandrum is also called as "God's own capital". There are many tourist destinations in the city including Kovalam beach, Sanghumukham Beach,Napier museum and Zoo, Agasthyarkoodam peak, Neyyar Wild life sanctuary and Neyyar Dam,Kuthira Malika palace,Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple,Ponmudi,Poovar, Varkala Cliffs and Beaches and many others.Trivandrum is also famous for being the Evergreen city of India.
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
, Thiruvattar
Thiruvattar
Thiruvattaru is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-About the town:This town is situated 6 km north-east of Marthandam and 30 km north-west of Nagercoil. The two main rivers Pahrali River and Kothai surround the village and join in Moovattumugam,...
, Padmanabhapuram Palace
Padmanabhapuram Palace
Padmanabhapuram Palace complex is located in at Padmanabhapuram Fort, close to the town of Thuckalay in Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu, in India. It is about 20 km from Nagercoil, and about 50 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The palace complex is inside an old granite...
and Tirpparappu waterfalls, are also near the city, in the adjoining Kanyakumari District
Kanyakumari District
Kanyakumari District ) is a district of Tamil Nadu state, India and is the southernmost land area of mainland India.The district is the second most urbanised district in Tamilnadu, next only to Chennai and ahead of Coimbatore. It also has the highest literacy and education levels in the...
(Nagercoil
Nagercoil
Nagercoil is the 12th largest city in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District...
), in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Road
.Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.-History:...
, though there are significant numbers of private buses plying within the city limits.
The NH-47, which runs from Salem to Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
, passes through the city. It connects important southern cities such as Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
and Salem in north direction and Nagercoil
Nagercoil
Nagercoil is the 12th largest city in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District...
in south direction. The Main Central Road
Main Central Road
The Main Central Road is the arterial State Highway in the Travancore region of Kerala state, India. It is designated as SH 1 by the Kerala Public Works Department.The highway was built by Raja Kesavadas, Dewan of Travancore...
(MC Road) which is an arterial State Highway in Kerala and designated as SH 1 starts from NH-47 at Kesavadasapuram
Kesavadasapuram
Kesavadasapuram is a suburb in the Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India. Kesavadasapuram junction is a meeting point of NH 47 and MC Road...
in the city.
Within the city, city buses, taxis and autorickshaws provide means of transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favored means of personal transportation. The intra-city public transport is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.-History:...
(Kerala State Road Transport Corporation). There are also bus service operated by private operators and provides access within city limits and beyond. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad. These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and electronic ticketing mechanisms. The Central bus station
Central Bus Station Thiruvananthapuram
Central Bus Station, also called Thampanoor Bus Station, is a bus station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is located opposite the Trivandrum Central Railway station at Thampanoor. The station is the inter State bus station of the city and is operated by various state road transport...
is located Thampanoor
Thampanoor
Thampanoor is a major commercial area of the Thiruvananthapuram city in Kerala state, South India. The major railway station of the state, Trivandrum Central, Railway Mail Service , Central Bus Station, the head office of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and many movie theatres and...
, opposite Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. It connects Thiruvananthapuram with other parts of Kerala as well as other states. The central city bus terminal is located 1 km away at East Fort
East fort
The East Fort is located at the heart of the CBD of Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital city of Kerala- a South Indian state.-History:East Fort got its name from the eastern entrance to the fort built by the Kings of Travancore. The old city was all inside the fort on four sides with the Sri...
(Kizhakke kotta), near the Padmanabha Swamy temple.
Rail
Southern Railway (India)
The Southern Railway is the earliest of the 16 zones of the Indian Railways created in independent India. It was created on April 14, 1951 by merging three state railways namely Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway. The South Indian Railway...
zone of the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
. There are five railway stations within the city limits including the Thiruvananthapuram central station. Thiruvananthapuram Pettah
Thiruvananthapuram Pettah
Thiruvananthapuram Pettah Malayalam: തിരുവനന്തപുരം പേട്ട is a railway station for inter-city trains, located at Thiruvananthapuram, in the Indian state of Kerala. The station is operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. The station is only 2.5 km from the Thiruvananthapuram...
, Kochuveli
Kochuveli Railway Station
Kochuveli Railway Station Malayalam:കൊച്ചുവേളി is one of the main stations of Thiruvananthapuram city in the Indian state of Kerala. It is being developed to ease congestion on Thiruvananthapuram central station....
and Veli stations are located towards north direction and Thiruvananthapuram Nemom
Nemom Railway Station
Nemom Railway Station is a railway station in Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala, India.Nemom is in the Thiruvananthapuram Railway division of the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways...
is located in south direction from the central station. The Central railway station
Trivandrum Central
Trivandrum Central is the main railway station in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the largest and busiest railway station in Kerala in terms of passenger movement and the second most important rail hub in South India. It is also the most profitable station...
is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, and is about 5 km from the new international air terminal and nearly 8 km from the domestic air terminal. It is the largest and busiest railway station in the state. Kochuveli railway station
Kochuveli Railway Station
Kochuveli Railway Station Malayalam:കൊച്ചുവേളി is one of the main stations of Thiruvananthapuram city in the Indian state of Kerala. It is being developed to ease congestion on Thiruvananthapuram central station....
is developed to ease congestion on central station and it act as satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central. Some of the long distance trains from the city operates from this station. The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express connects the city to New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, the capital of India. The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities in India such as New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
and Hyderabad. Thiruvananthapuram is also the first major South Indian city on the longest train route in India, Kanyakumari to Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
.
Air
Thiruvananthapuram is served by the Trivandrum International Airport ,which is the first international airport in India outside the four metropolitan cities then. It has direct connectivity to the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and is a gateway to the tourism-rich state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. The airport is qualified for all-weather and night operations. One of the major advantage of the airport is the prevailing weather at the location that does not go to extremes, allowing flight operations without disruption year around. The International terminal of the airport is approximately 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) due west and the domestic terminal is approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) from the central business district
Thampanoor
Thampanoor is a major commercial area of the Thiruvananthapuram city in Kerala state, South India. The major railway station of the state, Trivandrum Central, Railway Mail Service , Central Bus Station, the head office of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and many movie theatres and...
. The importance of the airport is also due to the fact that it is the southernmost airport in India and also the closest option for neighboring countries like Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and the only option to Maldives from India. Also, apart from the regular scheduled flights, charter flights, primarily carrying tourists, also serve the airport.
Sea
The work on infrastructure development for the Deep Water Container Trans-shipment PortVizhinjam International Seaport
Vizhinjam International Seaport is an International deepwater multi-Purpose Shipping Hub coming up at Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala...
at Vizhinjam
Vizhinjam
Vizhinjam is a locality of Thiruvananthapuram city in the Indian state of Kerala. Kovalam beach is just 3 km from Vizhinjam. The areas in and around Vizhinjam are known for its Ayurvedic treatment centers and internationally acclaimed beach resorts. As of 2001, the population was 18,566...
has begun, which is expected to be completed within one year and the work on the terminal is to begin within a year. It is to be built in three phases, and expected to be a key competitor in the ports business (especially for container transshipment), with the international shipping lanes between Europe and the Far East lying very close to the port, and also with major ports like Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Kochi and Tuticorin in close proximity.
The exponential growth of the services and IT-based sectors coupled with its prominence as the state capital and tourist center has caused considerable strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To ease the strain, several construction projects are underway and completed including the construction of flyover
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
s and under passes. In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane dual carriage ways are being built.
Demographics
In October 2010, the area of the city was increased from 86 wards to 100 wards by adding Sreekaryam, Vattiyoorkavu, Kudappanakunnu, Vizhinjam and Kazhakuttam panchayats into the corporation. The city has now an area of 214.86 km² and a population of 9,57,730 inhabitants with 4,67,739 males and 4,89,991 females.
Hindus
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
comprise 65% of the population, Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
are about 18% of the population, and Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
are about 15% of the populace. The remaining 2% of the population practice other religions. The major language spoken is Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
are also widely understood. There is also a prominent minority of Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
speakers and a few Tulu
Tulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
and Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
speakers.
Unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
is a serious issue in Thiruvananthapuram, as it is in the whole of Kerala. The increase in the unemployment rate was from 8.8% in 1998 to 34.3% in 2003, thus registering a 25.5% absolute and a 289.7% relative increase in five years. Thiruvananthapuram taluk
Thiruvananthapuram taluk
Thiruvananthapuram Taluk is a Taluk in Thiruvananthapuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated in the western part of the Thiruvananthapuram district...
ranks third in Kerala with 36.3% of its population unemployed. The in-migration of the unemployed from other districts also boosts this high unemployment rate. Thiruvananthapuram has a high suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
rate, which went up from 17.2 per lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
in 1995 to 38.5 per lakh in 2002. In 2004, the rate came down slightly to 36.6 per lakh. As per 2001 census, the populace below the poverty line in the city was 11,667. A BPL survey indicated the urban poor population as 120,367. Majority of these populace lives in slums and coastal fishing areas.
This apparent paradox—high human development and low economic development—is visible in the entire state of Kerala, and is often dubbed as the Kerala phenomenon or the Kerala model
Kerala model
The Kerala model based on the development experience of the southern Indian state of Kerala, refers to the state's achievement of significant improvements in material conditions of living, reflected in indicators of social development that are comparable to that of many developed countries, even...
of development.
Culture
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ging community, though the term is not in common use. The cultural background of Thiruvananthapuram originates from the efforts of the rulers of erstwhile Travancore, who took an active interest in the development of arts and culture. Thiruvananthapuram has produced several great artists, the most famous ones being Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, Irayimman Thampi
Irayimman Thampi
Ravi Varman Thampi better known as Irayimman Thampi was a Carnatic musician as well as a music composer from Kerala, India. He was a vocalist in the court of Swathi Thirunal...
and Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana...
.
Maharaja Swathi Thirunal was a great composer and played a vital role in the development of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
. There is a music college in his name in the city – Swathi Thirunal College of Music
Swathi Thirunal College of Music
Swathi Thirunal College of Music is a music college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was founded in 1939. It was first named as "The Music Academy. The name was renamed as Swathi Thirunal College of Music in 1962. The founder of this institution was L. Muttayyah Bhagavathar.The primary...
. Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana...
was a famous painter of international renown. His contributions to Indian art
Indian art
Indian Art is the visual art produced on the Indian subcontinent from about the 3rd millennium BC to modern times. To viewers schooled in the Western tradition, Indian art may seem overly ornate and sensuous; appreciation of its refinement comes only gradually, as a rule. Voluptuous feeling is...
are substantial. Most of his famous paintings are preserved at the Sree Chithra Art Gallery in the city. The Padmanabha Swamy Temple and the fort surrounding it, the Napier Museum
Napier Museum
The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram , the capital city of Kerala, India.-History:...
and Zoo, the VJT hall, Palayam Mosque and Church are among the prominent heritage buildings in the city. The Veli lake and Shankumugham beach
Shankumugham Beach
Shankumugham Beach is a beach in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, south India. The beach is on the western side of Thiruvananthapuram city and very near to Trivandrum International Airport....
are home to various sculptures of the noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman
Kanayi Kunhiraman
Kanayi Kunhiraman is a sculptor from Kuttamath in Hosdurg Taluk in Kasaragod district of Kerala state, India. He is the Former Chairman of the Lalit Kala Academy....
. Many people, including Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
have admired the city's greenery.
Thiruvananthapuram appears as a laid back and quiet city to a casual observer. However there are considerable cultural activities in the city. The cultural activities are more during the festival season of Onam
Onam
Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam and lasts for ten days...
in August/September, and during the tourist season later in the year. The state government organises the tourism week celebrations every year during the Onam with cultural events conducted at various centres in the city. The other major events include the annual flower show, the Attukal Pongala
Attukal
Attukal is a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is situated about two kilometres to the south east from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram City....
, the Aaraat of Padmanabha Swamy Temple, the Beemapally Uroos, Vettucaud Perunaal
Vettucaud
Vettucaud is located on the north-west coast of Thiruvananthapuram. The Madre-de-Deus church is situated here. This church is popularly known as Vettucaud Palli....
etc. The CVN Kalari at East Fort is a well known centre for training in Kerala's indigenous martial art—the Kalaripayattu. The Margi centre offers training in many of Kerala's traditional arts including Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
.
The general cuisine of the people is Keralite cuisine
Cuisine of Kerala
The cuisine of Kerala is linked in all its richness to the history, geography, demography and culture of the land. Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat.-Ingredients:...
, which is characterised by an abundance of coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
and spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
s. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
and North Indian
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
cuisines are popular. Fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
culture is also very prominent in the city.
Thiruvananthapuram has numerous libraries, the prominent ones being the State Central Library
State Central Library, Kerala
State Central Library of Kerala is also known as Trivandrum Public Library.It is situated at the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of Kerala. It is the first public library in India.- History :...
(Trivandrum Public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, Est. 1829), the University Library, Thiruvananthapuram Children's Library, Manuscripts Library and the Centre for Development Studies Library. The British Library (Est. 1964) was located very near to the Government Secretariat adjacent to the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
Hostel.
Education
Indira Gandhi National Open University
The Indira Gandhi National Open University , known as IGNOU is a national university with its headquarters in New Delhi, Delhi, India. Named after former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, the university was established in 1985 with a budget of 2000 crore, when the Parliament of India passed...
(IGNOU) is also situated in Trivandrum. There are many professional education colleges including fifteen engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda colleges, two Homeopathy colleges, six other medical related colleges, and two law colleges in the city and its suburbs. Trivandrum Medical College
Trivandrum Medical College
Trivandrum Medical College is located in Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of Kerala state, India. It was founded in 1951, and was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. This is the oldest and most prestigious medical college in Kerala. It is being upgraded to the...
is being upgraded to the status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
All India Institute of Medical Sciences is a premier medical college and teaching hospital based in New Delhi, India. The Institute operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ....
(AIIMS). The College of Engineering, Trivandrum
College of Engineering, Trivandrum
The College of Engineering, Trivandrum, commonly known as CET, is situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. Founded in 1939, it is the top ranked engineering college in Kerala, and one of the top engineering schools in India....
, Government Engineering College, and Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering are the main engineering colleges in the city. The Asian School of Business
Asian School of Business
Asian School of Business is a business school located in Trivandrum, Kerala in India. The school was established in 2005.Its aim is to facilitate and promote studies and research with focus on professional education...
and IIITM-K are two of the management study
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
institutions in the city, both situated inside Technopark
Technopark Kerala
Technopark is a technology park in Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala, India. The park is dedicated to IT ventures. It is the first and largest technology park in India....
. The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology is situated in the city. Centre for Development Studies
Centre for Development Studies
The Centre for Development Studies , Trivandrum, Kerala, India is a premier social science research institution. Over the years it has established a tradition of interdisciplinary research on development problems in India. Its main objective is to promote research, teaching and training in...
and Centre for Development of Imaging Technology
Centre for Development of Imaging Technology
Centre for Development of Imaging Technology is a unique organization aiming at convergence and beyond of various aspects of IT and electronics. This enviable technological institution is proud of having a talented pool of creative personnel co-existing with technological work force...
(C-DIT), which does research, development and training in imaging technology, are located within city limits.
The schools in the city are classified as Aided, Unaided and Government schools. The government schools are run directly by the state government and follow the syllabus prescribed by the state government. The aided schools also follow the state syllabus. In addition to this, there are four Kendriya Vidyalaya
Kendriya Vidyalaya
Kendriya Vidyalaya, is a system of central government schools under the Ministry of Human Resource Development ....
s run directly by the Central government, which follow the CBSE syllabus, and private schools run by educational trusts or boards which follow CBSE and/or ICSE
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE examination is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of school education in India, for class 10, i.e., grade 10...
syllabus and/or NIOS
Nios
Nios may refer to:*National Institute of Open Schooling, Board of Education for school level in India *Nios embedded processor*Nios II*Lake Nyos, a crater lake in the Northwest Province of Cameroon in Africa...
syllabus and/or state syllabus. The first International school in Kerala, The Trivandrum International School
Trivandrum International School
Trivandrum International School is a co-educational international school situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The school offers the International General Certificate of Secondary Education and is accredited by the Cambridge International Examinations and the Council for the Indian School...
, was started in the outskirts of the city in August 2003.
The literacy rate in Thiruvananthapuram, according to the 2001 census, is 89.36 percent; 92.68 percent among males and 86.26 percent among females.
Science and Technology
Thiruvananthapuram is a Research and Development hub in the fields of space scienceSpace science
The term space science may mean:* The study of issues specifically related to space travel and space exploration, including space medicine.* Science performed in outer space ....
, information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, bio-technology, and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. It is home to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation , focusing on rocket and space vehicles for India's satellite programme...
(VSSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre , located at three places, Valiyamala, near Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, Mahendragiri in Thirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu and Bangaluru, Karnataka...
(LPSC), Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
Thumba
Thumba is a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram city, capital of Kerala, India.Thumba became well-known to the out-siders after the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station , which was the first of that kind in India...
(TERLS), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology is a premier research institute in India, exclusive devoted to research in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. It is located at Thiruvananthapuram , the capital city of the state of Kerala in India. This centre runs as a 'grant in aid' institute of the...
(RGCB), Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute
Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute
Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute is an autonomous Institute established by the Government of Kerala on 17 November 1979 at Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala. It functions under the umbrella of the Science, Technology and Environment Department, Government of Kerala...
, ER&DC – CDAC, CSIR
CSIR India
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research established in 1942, is an autonomous body and India's largest Research and Development organization, with 39 laboratories and 50 field stations or extension centers spread across the nation, with a collective staff of over 17,000...
– National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Free Software Foundation of India (FSFI), Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology
Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology
The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology , Thiruvananthapuram , India is an Institute of National Importance established in 1974 by Government of Kerala...
(SCTIMST), Centre for Earth Science Studies
Centre for Earth Science Studies
Centre for Earth Science Studies is an autonomous research centre to promote and establish scientific and technological research and development studies in the earth sciences. CESS pursues multidisciplinary approach in problems related to land, sea and atmosphere. It was instituted by the...
(CESS), Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Priyadarsini Planetarium, The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library
The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library
The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library , in the University of Kerala, is one of the leading centres of Indological Studies in India. This world recognised institute, situated in Thiruvananthapuram , does research in fields connected with manuscripts...
, Kerala Highway Research Institute, Kerala Fisheries Research Institute, etc. A scientific institution named National centre for molecular materials, for the research and development of biomedical devices and space electronics is to be established in Thiruvananthapuram. College of Architecture Trivandrum(CAT), which specialise only on the architecture course, is another institution proposed to set up in the suburbs of the city.
Media
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s are available in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Malayalam. The English newspapers with editions from Thiruvananthapuram are The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as the Indian Express, under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu. In 1991, following the death of the then owner Ramnath Goenka, the Goenka...
and The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
. The major Malayalam newspapers are Mathrubhumi
Mathrubhumi
Mathrubhumi is a Malayalam language newspaper that is published from Kerala, India. Mathrubhumi was founded by K. P. Kesava Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian freedom struggle against the British.-History:...
, Malayala Manorama
Malayala Manorama
Malayala Manorama is a daily news paper, in Malayalam language, published in the state of Kerala, India. It was first published as a weekly on 14 March 1890, and currently has a readership of over 16 million . The Malayalam word "manorama" roughly translates to "entertainer"...
, Kerala Kaumudi
Kerala Kaumudi
Kerala Kaumudi is a popular Malayalam newspaper, founded in 1911 by C. V. Kunhiraman with K. Sukumaran B.A. as the founder editor. Printed from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur in Kerala and Bangalore, Kerala Kaumudi is the third most circulated Malayalam daily. The...
, Deshabhimani, Janmabhumi
Janmabhumi
Janmabhumi Newspaper is an Indian daily newspaper founded in 1977, published in a broadsheet format and owned by Matruka Pracharanalayam Ltd.The paper's Managing Director is Kummanam Rajashekharan.The paper's editor in chief is Hari S. Kartha....
, Keralakaumudi Flash and Madhyamam
Madhyamam
Madhyamam is a Malayalam daily newspaper published from Kerala, India, since 1987.. It was founded in 1987 by the initiatives of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. It has 10 editions in India and its Gulf edition Gulf Madhyamam has 9 in the Middle East...
.
Most of the Malayalam TV channels are based in Thiruvananthapuram. The government owned Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
began broadcasting from here in 1981. Asianet
Asianet
Asianet Communications Limited is an Indian media conglomerate jointly owned by STAR TV and Jupiter Entertainment. Formed in 1991 and headquartered in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the south Indian state of Kerala, the company owns several television channels including Asianet, the first...
, the first private Malayalam channel, began its telecasts in 1991. The other channels now based in Thiruvananthapuram are Amrita TV
Amrita TV
Amrita TV, launched in 2005, as a 24-hour Malayalam, general entertainment & news satellite channel with a global footprint, has been honoured with 54 State Awards for Excellence in Television—the only channel in India to be bestowed with such a recognition in just two years since inception...
, Kairali TV
Kairali TV
Kairali TV is an Indian television channel broadcasting in the Malayalam language catering to the Malayalam speaking population in Kerala as well as abroad . The channel, headquartered in Trivandrum, has studio facilities in Trivandrum as well as Kochi. Malayalam Communications Limited is the...
, Kairali We (Youth channel of Kairali), JaiHind TV
JaiHind TV
Jaihind TV is a Malayalam channel , based in Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala. It was launched on August 17 , 2007 in Delhi by Indian National Congress President and UPA chairperson Smt.Sonia Gandhi....
, Asianet Plus (Youth channel of Asianet) and People (News and current affairs channel of Kairali TV). The local cable services are provided by Asianet Satellite Communications Limited, Connecttel Communications Pvt Ltd, Trivandrum Cable Network Pvt Ltd and Siti Cable and they provide a bouquet of local channels in addition to all the Indian channels. DTH
Direct broadcast satellite
Direct broadcast satellite is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts intended for home reception.A designation broader than DBS would be direct-to-home signals, or DTH. This has initially distinguished the transmissions directly intended for home viewers from cable television...
services are available through Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
Direct Plus, Tata Sky
Tata Sky
TATA Sky is a direct broadcast satellite television provider in India, using MPEG-2 digital compression technology, transmitting using INSAT 4A at 83.0°E....
, SUN Direct, Big TV
Big TV
Big TV! is the working name of film directors Andy Delaney and Monty Whitebloom. They are employed by DNA, Inc. and are known for their commercials and music videos....
, Airtel digital TV
Airtel digital TV
Airtel digital TV is an Indian direct broadcast satellite service provider owned and operated by Bharti Airtel. Its satellite service, launched on 2008, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in India. It uses MPEG-4 digital compression with DVB-S2 technology, transmitting...
, Videocon d2h
Videocon d2h
Videocon d2h is one of the largest Indian pay TV provider, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to commercial and residential customers in India...
and Dish TV
Dish TV
Dish TV India Limited is an Indian company engaged in the business of providing direct-to-home satellite television service, which includes teleport service, customer support and transponder space leasing. Dishtv is a division of Zee Network Enterprise . It uses MPEG-2 digital compression...
.
All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
has an AM (1161 MHz) and an FM (Ananthapuri FM; 101.9 MHz) station for the city. FM radio channels broadcast from Thiruvananthapuram are Ananthapuri FM (AIR) 101.9 MHz, Gyanvani from IGNOU 105.6 MHz, Big FM 92.7 MHz, Club FM 94.3
Club FM 94.3
Club FM is a private FM radio station for the state of Kerala in India, operated by the Mathrubhumi in Kerala, specialising in popular music throughout the day. It bagged three of the RAPA awards in 2007, instituted by the Radio and TV Advertising Practitioners Association of India to honor...
MHz, Radio Mirchi
Radio Mirchi
Radio Mirchi is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the Entertainment Network India Ltd , which is one of the subsidiaries of The Times Group....
98.3 MHz, Red FM 93.5
Red FM 93.5
Red FM is an Indian FM radio brand, with stations broadcasting at 93.5 megahertz in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Kanpur in addition to Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Gulbarga, Kochi, Trivandrum, Thrissur, Kannur,...
MHz and Radio DC
Radio DC
Radio DC is a non-commercial community radio administered by the DC School of Management and Technology . It is the first private FM community radio station in Kerala. It is located in KINFRA Film and Video Park, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.It was broadcasting at 99.1 MHz...
(Low power CRS) 90.4 MHz.
Thiruvananthapuram city contains the largest number of theaters in Kerala. There are over 18 cinema halls which screen films in Malayalam, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
. There are also two film studios in the city—Chithranjali and Merryland. The Kinfra Film and Video Park, located near the Technopark, is one of the most advanced film and animation production centres in India. Leading firms like Prasad Labs have set up their facilities here. The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is held in November/December every year and is acknowledged as one of the leading events of its kind in India.
The wireline telephone
Plain old telephone service
Plain old telephone service is the voice-grade telephone service that remains the basic form of residential and small business service connection to the telephone network in many parts of the world....
services are provided by BSNL, Reliance
Reliance Communications
Reliance Communications Ltd. is an Indian broadband and telecommunications company headquartered in Navi Mumbai, India. RCOM is the world's 16th largest mobile phone operator with over 144 million subscribers. Established on 2004, a subsidiary of the Reliance Group...
and Tata Indicom
Tata Indicom
Tata Teleservices Limited is a Indian broadband and telecommunications provider based in Mumbai, India. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate...
. The main GSM networks operating in the city are BSNL CellOne
CellOne
CellOne now Bsnl mobile was a mobile phone service provided by the Indian public enterprise BSNL.It provides pre-paid and post-paid mobile services as well as many value added services....
, Airtel, Aircel
Aircel
Aircel group is a mobile phone service provider in India. It offers both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India. The Aircel group is a joint venture between Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia and Sindya Securities & Investments Private Limited, whose current...
, Tata Docomo
Tata DoCoMo
TATA DoCoMo, referred to as DoCoMo , is a Tata Teleservices Limited owned cellular service provider on the GSM and CDMA platform-arising out of the Tata Group's strategic joint venture with Japanese telecom giant NTT Docomo in November 2008...
, Uninor
Uninor
Uninor is a mobile operator in India. The company holds Unified Access Service licences to offer mobile telephony services in each of India’s 22 telecom circles, and has received spectrum to roll out services in 21 of these...
, Idea Cellular
Idea cellular
Idea Cellular, usually referred to as Idea, is an Indian wireless telecom company based in Mumbai, India. Idea is the 3rd largest mobile services operator in India, in revenue terms, and recorded of over 98.4 million customers as of August 2011....
, Vodafone
Vodafone Essar
Vodafone Essar, formerly Hutchison Essar, is a cellular operator in India that covers 23 telecom circles in India. It is based in Mumbai. On July 2011, Vodafone Group agreed terms for the buy-out of its partner Essar from its Indian mobile phone business. The UK firm paid $5.46 billion to its...
, Reliance
Reliance Communications
Reliance Communications Ltd. is an Indian broadband and telecommunications company headquartered in Navi Mumbai, India. RCOM is the world's 16th largest mobile phone operator with over 144 million subscribers. Established on 2004, a subsidiary of the Reliance Group...
, Videocon
Videocon Mobile Service
Videocon Mobile Service., is a GSM based cellular operator in India based in Mumbai .Videocon Telecommunications Limited which holds a market share of 0.78% in the country, a Videocon group company offers GSM mobile services GSM service under the brand name Videocon.The Videocon Group is a $4...
and Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile India
Virgin Mobile India Limited is a cellular telephone service provider company which is a joint venture between Tata Teleservices and Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Currently, the company uses Tata's CDMA network to offer its services under the brand name Virgin Mobile, and it has also started GSM...
. The main CDMA providers are Reliance
Reliance Communications
Reliance Communications Ltd. is an Indian broadband and telecommunications company headquartered in Navi Mumbai, India. RCOM is the world's 16th largest mobile phone operator with over 144 million subscribers. Established on 2004, a subsidiary of the Reliance Group...
, MTS and Tata Indicom
Tata Indicom
Tata Teleservices Limited is a Indian broadband and telecommunications provider based in Mumbai, India. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate...
. The number of mobile phone connections has increased exponentially since the late 90s. Major broadband internet services are provided by BSNL Broadband
BSNL Broadband
BSNL Broadband is an Internet access service from state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited available in India since 14 January 2005. Until 30 September 2007 it was known as Data One....
, Asianet Dataline and Siti Cable
Siti Cable
Siti Cable is a major cable broadcasting and telecommunications company in India, which provides cable television, cell phone and internet services in major cities such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Banglore, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Trivandrum...
. Private providers like Reliance
Reliance Communications
Reliance Communications Ltd. is an Indian broadband and telecommunications company headquartered in Navi Mumbai, India. RCOM is the world's 16th largest mobile phone operator with over 144 million subscribers. Established on 2004, a subsidiary of the Reliance Group...
, Tata Communications (VSNL)
Tata Communications
Tata Communications Limited ) is a telecommunications company located in Mumbai. They own a submarine cable network, a Tier-1 IP network, and also rent data center and colocation space. They operate India's largest data center in Pune...
, Airtel and Satyam also have their presence in the city. The major dial-up internet providers are BSNL NetOne, Kerala Online and KelNet among others. Thiruvananthapuram also holds the distinction of having been the first 100% Digital SSA (Secondary Switching Area) in India.
Sports
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
and Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
are also popular, mostly in schools. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. The HQ complex of KCA, has advance facilities including two practice turfs with nets, bowling machines, gymnasium with multi-gym and equipment for aerobic training, lecture hall and library, an astro-turf indoor coaching facility, fully furnished accommodation for coaches and players, a physiotherapy clinic, functional office facilities and guest rooms.
The Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium
Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium
Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium is a prominent football stadium situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The stadium, also known as 'Police Stadium', was constructed in honor of the first Inspector General of Police of Kerala Shri. N. Chandrasekharan Nair in 1956. It hosts both national and...
, in the heart of the city, is a prominent football stadium and has hosted both national and international level matches. The University Stadium
University Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
University Stadium is located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and is used for multiple sports - predominantly Football and Cricket matches. The stadium is part of University of Kerala campus and was built in 1952. The stadium is used as the home ground for the Indian domestic cricket...
has hosted two international cricket matches. This stadium is under the University of Kerala and is equipped with synthetic tracks for athletics games. The Central Stadium, which has facilities for athletics, football, basketball, volleyball and cricket practice nets, is situated on the eastern side of the Government Secretariat. The Jimmy George Indoor Stadium
Jimmy George Indoor Stadium
Jimmy George Indoor Stadium is situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.It was constructed in 1987.Promising players in Badminton are undergoing regular practise in this stadium under a Coach from Sports Authority of India. Training in Gymnastics, Taekwondo are also conducted here...
, the GV Raja Sports School and Lakshmi Bhai National College for Physical Education (LNCPE) are the other major sports establishments in the city.
The city has a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
known as Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club
Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club
Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club is a nine-hole golf course located at Thiruvananthapuram city in the Indian state of Kerala.-Area:The course is spread over 25.38 acres. It was started around 1850s during the days of the late Maharajah Sreemoolam Tirunal. The golf course here is one of the oldest in...
. It is one of the oldest golf course in India, more than 150 years old. The city also has a Tennis Club (Trivandrum Tennis Club/TTC) both located at Kowdiar. The city fields two football clubs--SBT
State Bank of Travancore
State Bank of Travancore , is a subsidiary of the State Bank Group and also has private share-holders. It is the premier bank of Kerala State, India, where it has 700 branches...
-Thiruvananthapuram and Titanium—in the second division of the National Football League. The city also has a fully equipped modern swimming pool located near the Jimmy George
Jimmy George
Jimmy George is often considered one of the greatest Indian volleyball players of all time...
Sports Complex at Vellayambalam. Many state level and national level swimming competitions are held in this complex. It also holds coaching camps for those who are interested in learning swimming.
Strategic Importance
Apart from being the capital of India’s most literate and socially developed stateKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Thiruvananthapuram is a strategically important city in Southern India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. Being the largest city in India’s deep south, it is important for both military logistics and civil aviation in the southern part of the country. It is the headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
. The city is very close to the international shipping route and east-west shipping axis. Also, it falls under the international air route.
Due to the strategic importance of the city, the Indian Air Force authorities have planned to establish an aerospace command in SAC.
The plan for setting up a new "Tri-Service Command", which will integrate all the three forces under a single command, is also in the pipeline.
Being the Indian city with the closest air link to the small island nation of Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
and also Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, the city’s medical and health infrastructure caters to the needs of the patients from both countries, especially Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. Thiruvananthapuram also provides a key link in the movement of goods and passengers to and from southern parts of Tamilnadu into Kerala, the state border being just 30 km away from the city centre.
Sister Town / Twin Cities
Thiruvananthapuram is twinned with the following cities:| City | ountry | tate / Region | ince |
|---|---|---|---|
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 United States United StatesUnited States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
 Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
1994 |
 Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... |
 Spain SpainSpain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
 Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an... |
2009 |