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Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration population is around 1.68 million. Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills. The present regions that constitute Thiruvananthapuram were ruled by the Ays who were feudatories of the Chera dynasty. In the 12th century, it was conquered by the Kingdom of Venad. In the 18th century, the king Marthanda Varma expanded the territory, founded the princely state of Travancore, and made Thiruvananthapuram its capital. Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755. Following
India's independence The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal. ...
in 1947, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Travancore-Cochin state and remained so until the new Indian state of Kerala was formed in 1956. Thiruvananthapuram is a notable academic and research hub and home to the University of Kerala,
APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, formerly known as Kerala Technological University (KTU), is a state owned public university headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It is both a teaching and affiliatio ...
, the regional headquarters of Indira Gandhi National Open University, and many other schools and colleges. Thiruvananthapuram is also home to research centers such as the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology,
Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...
's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) is a government-aided institute and deemed university for the study and research of space science, located at Valiamala, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is the first universit ...
,
National Centre for Earth Science Studies The National Centre for Earth Science Studies(NCESS) (Malayalam: ദേശിയ ഭൗമ ശാസ്ത്ര പഠന കേന്ദ്രം) is an autonomous research centre to promote scientific and technological research and developmen ...
and a campus of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research. The city is home to media institutions like
Toonz India Ltd Toonz is a 2D animation software program. The base application is currently managed by Dwango (company), Dwango as free and open-source software, open-source software under the name OpenToonz. An extended commercial variant for professional ind ...
and Tata Elxsi Ltd, and is also home to Chitranjali Film Studio, one of the first film studios in
Malayalam Cinema Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...
, and Kinfra Film and Video Park at Kazhakoottom, which is India's first Infotainment industrial park. Being India's largest city in the deep south, it is strategically prominent and hosts the Southern Air Command headquarters of the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
, the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station and the upcoming
Vizhinjam International Seaport The Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport, also known as the Vizhinjam Port is an under-construction port on the Arabian Sea coast at city of Trivandrum . Developed in three phases, the first phase is expected to get completed b ...
. Thiruvananthapuram is a major tourist centre, known for the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the beaches of
Kovalam Kovalam is a region in the city of Trivandrum, around 13 km southwest of the city center, whose beaches are a tourist destination. Etymology Kovalam means "coconut grove," after the coconut trees which are common there. History Kovala ...
and Varkala, the backwaters of Poovar and Anchuthengu and its Western Ghats tracts of
Ponmudi Ponmudi (the Golden Peak) also known as Kashmir of Kerala is a hill station in the Peringamala gramapanchayath of Trivandrum District of Kerala in India. It is located 22km west of Vithura town, 53 km north-east of Trivandrum City, 78&n ...
and the
Agastya Mala Agastyaarkoodam is one of the peaks in the Western Ghats of Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, India. This peak is a part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve which lies on the border between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli d ...
. In 2012, Thiruvananthapuram was named the best Kerala city to live in, by a field survey conducted by '' The Times of India''. In 2013, the city was ranked the fifteenth best city to live in India, in a survey conducted by '' India Today''. Thiruvananthapuram was ranked the best Indian city for two consecutive years, 2015 and 2016, according to the Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS) conducted by the
Janaagraha Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy (www.janaagraha.org) is a non-profit trust, working towards the mission of transforming the quality of life in India’s cities and towns. Founded in 2001 by Ramesh Ramanathan and Swati Ramanathan, ...
Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. The city was also selected as the best governed city in India in a survey conducted by Janaagraha Centre for citizenship and democracy in 2017.


Etymology

The city takes its name from Malayalam word ''thiru-anantha-puram'' ( ), meaning "The City of Lord Ananta", referring to the deity of the
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Tamil and Malayalam translates to "The City of Lord Ananta" (The City ...
located in the city. Thiruvananthapuram is also known in literature, and popular reference as ''Ananthapuri'', derived from the Sanskrit word ''Syanandurapuram'', meaning "The City of Bliss" in Carnatic kirtanas composed by Swathi Thirunal, erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore. The city was officially referred to as ''Trivandrum'' until 1991 (Trivandrum being the anglicised name of the town), when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram.


History

Thiruvananthapuram is a relatively modern region with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE. It is believed that the ships of
King Solomon King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
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 Chera dynasty governed the area of Malabar Coast between
Alappuzha Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in States and territories of India, state of Kerala, India. The Kerala Backwaters, Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indi ...
in the south to
Kasaragod Kasaragod () is a municipal town and administrative headquarters of Kasaragod district in the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1966, Kasaragod was the first municipal town in the district. It is the northernmost district of Kerala and ...
in the north. This included Palakkad Gap,
Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
,
Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
, and Kolli Hills. The region around
Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between c. first and the fourth centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu. However the southern region of present-day Kerala state (The coastal belt between Thiruvananthapuram and
Alappuzha Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in States and territories of India, state of Kerala, India. The Kerala Backwaters, Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indi ...
) was under Ay dynasty, who was more related to the Pandya dynasty of Madurai. The early rulers of the city were the Ays. Vizhinjam, which is now a region in the present-day Thiruvananthapuram, was the capital of the Ay dynasty. Vizhinjam was an important port city from as early as the second century BC. During the Ay dynasty's rule, Thiruvananthapuram witnessed many battles in which the
Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
and Pandyan dynasties attempted to capture the port town. After the death of king
Vikramaditya Varaguna Vikramaditya (r. c. 884—911 ADNarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 97, 109. 337-39, 474-75. or 920 ADGurukkal, Rajan. ''The Agrarian System and Socio-Political Organisation Under the Early Pandyas ...
in 925 AD, the glory of the Ays departed and almost all their territories became part of the Chera dynasty. During the tenth century, the Cholas attacked and sacked Vizhinjam and surrounding regions. The port in Vizhinjam and the historic education center of Kanthalloor Sala were also destroyed by Cholas during this period. A branch of the Ay family, which had controlled the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, merged with the Kingdom of Venad in the 12th century. Present-day Thiruvananthapuram city, district, and Kanyakumari district, were parts of the Ay dynasty during ancient and medieval ages, which was a
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
kingdom based in the southernmost part of the Indian subcontinent. Ay kingdom had experienced attacks and conquests by
Cholas The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...
and Pandyas in various periods. Later it became a part of Venad in late Middle Ages, which was eventually expanded as the powerful kingdom of Travancore in 18th century CE. The
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
-Dravidian kind of architecture is also found in Padmanabhaswamy temple, which makes it distinct and unique from the architectural style of temples in northern and central parts of Kerala. Modern-day Southern Kerala (The districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, etc.) had been ruled by
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
dynasties such as the Ay kingdom, the Pandya dynasty,Karashima, Noburu. 2014. 'The Fall of the Old States', in ''A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations'', ed. Noburu Karashima, pp. 172–73. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. and the Chola dynasty,Majumdar (contains no mention of Maldives) for a long time until 16th–17th century CE. The official language of Venad, based at
Kollam Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...
, was also identified as
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
, by the natives of Venad in those times. The place names, the dialects of Malayalam spoken, and the customs that exist in the southern parts of Kerala still reveal a close relationship with Tamil heritage. Malayalam became more prevalent with the expansion of Venad into Travancore by annexing the regions up to present-day Ernakulam district. In the early 18th century CE, the Travancore royal family adopted some members from the royal family of Kolathunadu based at Kannur, and Parappanad based in present-day
Malappuram district Malappuram (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . It is the most populous district of Kerala, which is home to around 13% of the to ...
. Then, Marthanda Varma who inherited the Kingdom of Venad expanded the kingdom by conquering the kingdoms of Attingal, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Kottarakara, Kottayam, Changanassery, Meenachil, Poonjar and Ambalapuzha. In 1729, Marthanda Varma founded the princely state of
Thiruvithamkoor The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
and Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital in 1795 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari district. Thiruvananthapuram became a prominent city in Kerala under Marthanda Varma. As a result of the annexation of neighbouring chiefdoms, the artists and scholars from these places migrated to Thiruvananthapuram, turning it into a cultural center. Marthanda Varma gave patronage to different temple art forms including ''Koothu'', ''Padhakam'', ''Kathakali'', ''Thullal'', and ''Koodiyattam''. Noted artists such as
Ramapurathu Warrier Ramapurathu Warrier (1703–1753) is considered to be the pioneer of the "Vanchippattu" or Boat song form of poetry in Malayalam language. ''Vanchippattu'' is a poetic form of folk origin composed entirely in the Dravidian metre ''nathonnata''. H ...
and Kunchan Nambiar amongst others served as his court poets. Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755. The city developed into a significant intellectual and artistic centre during this period. The city's golden age was during the mid-19th century under the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. This era saw the establishment of the first English school (1834), the
Observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
(1837), the General Hospital (1839), the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College (1873). The first mental hospital in the state was started during the same period. Sanskrit College, Ayurveda College, Law College and a second-grade college for women were started by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924). The early 20th century was an age of tremendous political and social changes in the city. The
Sree Moolam Popular Assembly The Sree Moolam Popular Assembly in the erstwhile state of Travancore was the first popularly elected legislature in the history of India. Its predecessor legislative council was formed in Travancore in 1888 with eight appointed members. Sri Mu ...
, established in 1904, was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. Despite not being under the direct control of the British Empire at any time, the city featured prominently in
India's freedom struggle The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal. ...
. The Indian National Congress had a very active presence in Thiruvananthapuram. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr
Pattabhi Sitaramaiah Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya (24 November 1880 – 17 December 1959) was an Indian independence activist and political leader in the state of Andhra Pradesh. He was also the first governor (1 November 1956 – 13 June 1957) of Madhya Pradesh. ...
was held here in 1938. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipality came into existence in 1920 as the first municipality in the Travancore region. The municipality was converted into a corporation on 30 October 1940, during the period of
Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma , popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal, was the last ruling Maharaja of the Princely State of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and later the Titular Maharajah of Travancor ...
, who took over in 1931. The city witnessed multi-faceted progress during his period. The promulgation of the "
Temple Entry Proclamation The Temple Entry Proclamation was issued by Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma on November 12, 1936. The Proclamation abolished the ban on the so-called 'low caste people' or from entering Hindu temples in the Princely State of Travancor ...
" (1936) was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of the University of Travancore in 1937, which later became Kerala University. With the end of British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popularly elected ministry, headed by
Pattom Thanu Pillai Raja Shri Pattom A. Thanu Pillai (15 July 188527 July 1970) was a participant in the Indian independence movement who later served as the chief minister of Kerala from 22 February 1960 to 25 September 1962. He was known as the 'Bhishmacharya' o ...
, 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, the Kochi. The king of Travancore,
Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma , popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal, was the last ruling Maharaja of the Princely State of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and later the Titular Maharajah of Travancor ...
, became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1 July 1949 until 31 October 1956. When the state of Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became its capital. With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1962, Thiruvananthapuram became the cradle of India's ambitious space programme. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in the outskirts of the city in 1963. Several establishments of the
Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...
(ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram. A significant milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of Technopark—India's first IT park—in 1995. Technopark has developed into the largest IT park in the geographical area, employing around 62,000 people in 450 companies.


Geography and climate


Geography

Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills by the seashore and is at on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India. The city is on the west coast of India and is bounded by the Laccadive Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. The average elevation of the city is above sea level. The Geological Survey of India has identified Thiruvananthapuram as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorised the metropolis in the Seismic III Zone. Thiruvananthapuram lies on the shores of
Karamana Karamana is a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly and often still known as Trivandrum), the capital city of Kerala, India. It is one of the most densely populated but green parts of Thiruvananthapuram. The land is serviced by the Karamana Riv ...
and
Killi river Killi river, also called Killiyar, the main tributary of Karamana River, originates at Theerthankara close to Panavur in Nedumangad taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district. The river enters Thiruvananthapuram city at Vazhayila and flows through M ...
s. Vellayani, Thiruvallam and Aakulam backwaters lie in the city. The soil type in the middle part of the city is a dark brown loamy laterite soil high in phosphates. Laterisation is a result of the heavy rainfall and humid conditions. In western coastal regions of the city, sandy loam soil is found, and on hilly eastern parts of the district, rich dark brown loam of granite origin is found. The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is spread over . The wider
Thiruvananthapuram metropolitan area Thiruvananthapuram Metropolitan Area is the area consisting of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and the municipalities of Attingal, Nedumangad and Neyyattinkara, 3 "outgrowths" and 24 census towns. The total population is 1,687,406, which include ...
comprises Thiruvananthapuram corporation, three municipalities and 27 panchayats, as of 2011. Being the largest city in India's southern tip region, it is essential for both military logistics and civil aviation in the southern part of the country. Thiruvananthapuram is the headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force.


Climate

The city has a climate that lies on the border between a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen ''Aw'') and a tropical monsoon climate (''Am''). As a result, its only distinct seasons relate to rainfall rather than temperature. The mean maximum temperature is and the mean minimum temperature is . The humidity is high and rises to about 90% during the monsoon season. Thiruvananthapuram is the first city along the path of the south-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. The city receives heavy rainfall of around 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. The lowest temperature recorded in the city core was on 6 January 1974 and the highest temperature was on 21 February 2019. At the airport, the lowest temperature recorded was on 15 January 1975 and the highest temperature was on 5 May 1998.


Demographics

According to provisional results of the 2011 national census, the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram, which occupies an area of , had a population of 957,730. The city's population density was . The Urban Agglomeration had a population of 1,687,406 in 2011. The sex ratio is 1,040 females for every 1,000 males, which is higher than the national average. Thiruvananthapuram's literacy rate of 93.72% exceeds the all-India average of 74%.
Malayalees The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predomina ...
form the vast majority of Thiruvananthapuram's population. Thiruvananthapuram's smaller communities are the Tamils and North Indians. According to the 2011 census, 68.5% of the population is
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, 16.7%
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
and 13.7% Muslims. The remainder of the community includes Jains, Jews,
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
s, Buddhists and other religions which account for 0.06% of the population; 0.85% did not state a belief in the census. Malayalam, the official state language, is the dominant language in Thiruvananthapuram City: English is also used, mainly by the white-collar workforce.
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
has the most speakers after Malayalam. The city also has a few
Tulu Tulu may refer to: People *Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner *Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu" India *Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Kar ...
, Kannada, Konkani,
Dhivehi Dhivehi, also spelled Divehi, may refer to: *Dhivehi people, an ethnic group native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands. *Dhivehi language, an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Republic of Maldives ...
,
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
and Hindi speakers. As per the 2001 census, the population below the poverty line in the city was 11,667. Thiruvananthapuram has witnessed massive immigration of workers from northern India, mainly Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh, and Eastern India, mainly West Bengal and Bihar, and from neighbouring countries like
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, the Maldives, Nepal and Bangladesh.


Administration

The Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram or TMC oversees and manages the civic infrastructure of the city's 100 wards. Each ward elects a councillor to the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram. TMC has the power to act as the local government of the city. TMC is headed by the Mayor, who is elected from among the councillors. The Mayor is responsible for the overall supervision and control of the administrative functions of the TMC. The corporation discharges its services through standing committees. The corporation secretary is an officer appointed by the government, who serves as the administrative head of the TMC and implements the council's decisions based on the resolutions adopted by the council. The functions of the Municipal Corporation are managed by seven departments—engineering, health, general administration, council, accounts and revenue. For the decentralised role of TMC, eleven Zonal Offices are created. The zonal offices are in Fort, Kadakampally, Nemom,
Ulloor Ulloor is a city locality in the Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was the home of the modern Malayalam triumvirate poet Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer. The Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram and Credence Hospital Thiruvananthapu ...
, Attipra, Thiruvallom, Kazhakkuttom,
Sreekaryam Sreekaryam is a area in Trivandrum city the capital of Kerala, India. It is located 3 km north of Ulloor, on the old National Highway 47, and is about 11 km from Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station. It is situated midway betwee ...
,
Kudappanakunnu Kudappanakunnu is the headquarters of Thiruvananthapuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram Doordarshan Kendra and the District collectors office are the major landmarks here. Vazhayila, Nalanchira, Muttada and Mannanth ...
,
Vattiyoorkavu Vattiyoorkavu is located in the north-eastern side of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) city, Kerala, India. Killi River and Karamana River flows through this area. It is one among the four legislative constituencies which are a part of Thiruvana ...
and Vizhinjam. The functions of the TMC include water supply, drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid-waste management, and building regulation. The
Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority ( ml, തിരുവനന്തപുരം വികസന അതോറിറ്റി), commonly abbreviated as TRIDA, is a body of the Government of Kerala that was constituted for the implementation ...
is responsible for the statutory planning and development of the greater Thiruvananthapuram region. As the seat of the Government of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram is home to not only the offices of the local governing agencies but also the
Kerala Legislative Assembly The Kerala Legislative Assembly, popularly known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is the State Assembly of Kerala, one of the 28 states in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives. Each elected member represents one of the 140 c ...
and the state secretariat, which is housed in the Kerala Government Secretariat complex. Thiruvananthapuram has two parliamentary constituencies— Attingal and Thiruvananthapuram—and elects five Members of the Legislative Assembly (
MLAs The Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) was a proposed alternative to the Maxime Faget-invented "tractor" launch escape system (LES) that was planned for use by NASA for its Orion (spacecraft), Orion spacecraft in the event an Ares I malfunction du ...
) to the state legislature.


Law and order

The
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. It is headed by the Commis ...
is the main law-enforcement agency in the city. It is headed by a commissioner of police. The
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. It is headed by the Commis ...
is a division of the Kerala Police, and the administrative control lies with the Kerala Home Ministry. Thiruvananthapuram city police are the largest police division in Kerala, and it consists of ten Circle offices and 21 police stations and a sanctioned strength of 3,500 police personnel. The
Central Prison Central Prison is a prison operated by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety in Raleigh, North Carolina. The prison, west of Downtown Raleigh, is on of land and is bounded by a double wire fence with a razor ribbon on top. The Departm ...
is the oldest prison in Kerala and the headquarters of Kerala prisons and correctional services.


Military and diplomatic establishments

The Southern Air Command of the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
is headquartered in the city. There are two state armed police battalions and a unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) based in Thiruvananthapuram. The CRPF has a Group Headquarters (GHQ) located at Pallipuram. In addition to this, three units of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Sector Headquarters (SHQ) of the Border Security Force (BSF) are also present. Thiruvananthapuram also houses a large army cantonment in Pangode which houses some regiments of the Indian Army. In the city there is a Consulate of the United Arab Emirates, a Consulate of the Maldives, and Honorary Consulates of
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, Russia and Germany.


Utility services

The
Kerala Water Authority Kerala Water Authority is an autonomous authority established for the development and regulation of water supply and waste water collection and disposal in the state of Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. I ...
supplies the city with water that is sourced from the Karamana River; most of it is drawn from the
Aruvikkara Aruvikkara is a panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram district in the state of Kerala, India. It is located on the banks of the Karamana River 15 km from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala in South India and one of the 12 pa ...
and
Peppara The Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India. It consists of the catchment area of the Karamana River, which originates from Chemmunjimottai, the tallest hill within the sanctuary. The s ...
reservoirs, and it is treated and purified at the Aruvikkara pumping stations. The Wellington Water Works, commissioned in 1933, is one of the oldest city water supply schemes in India. The sewage water is treated at Muttathara sewage-treatment plant, which handles 32 million litres per day. The city area is divided into seven blocks for the execution of the sewage system. Electricity is supplied by the Kerala State Electricity Board. Fire services are handled by the
Kerala Fire And Rescue Services The Kerala Fire and Rescue Services is the service department of the Government of Kerala whose function is to fight fires and provide relief measures in times of calamities and disasters in Kerala. It is responsible for the provision of fire ...
.


Economy

Thiruvananthapuram's economy comprises Information Technology, education, plantations, aerospace, commerce and tourism. Thiruvananthapuram district contributes 10.31%, of the state's GDP. With an economic growth rate of 13.83%, Thiruvananthapuram is the fastest-growing district in Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram was listed as one of the top ten cities in India on Vibrancy and Consumption Index by a study conducted by global
financial services Financial services are the Service (economics), economic services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money, including credit unions, banks, credit-card companies, insurance companies, acco ...
firm Morgan Stanley. State- and central-government employees make up a large percentage of the city's workforce. Thiruvananthapuram is a major aerospace research centre in India. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the most significant and leading centre of
ISRO The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...
, and several space-related, state-owned ISRO centres such as Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, and
ISRO Inertial Systems Unit The ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) is a research and development unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation located in Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapuram that specialises in inertial sensors and systems in satellite technology. Its specializ ...
are based in Thiruvananthapuram. The BrahMos Aerospace Trivandrum Limited is one of the leading missile integration and defence production units in India. Other enterprises include
Travancore Titanium Products Travancore Titanium Products Ltd (TTP), 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 the then Travancore King, ...
,
Kerala Automobiles Limited Kerala Automobiles Limited (KAL) is a public sector automobile manufacturing company in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The KAL undertakes the manufacturing and marketing various models of Three Wheelers. The company is ISO 9001:2000 certified ...
, MILMA, English Indian Clays, Keltron,
Trivandrum Rubber Works Trivandrum Rubber Works is a public sector manufacturing industry in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Its manufactured products include, retreaded metals, bonding gum and unvulcanised sheets. It was promoted by Kerala State Industrial Develop ...
and
HLL Lifecare Limited HLL Lifecare Limited (formerly Hindustan Latex Limited) (HLL) is an Indian healthcare product manufacturing company based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. A Government of India -owned corporation ( Public-sector undertaking). Products ...
. Thiruvananthapuram is a major IT and ITES hub in India. The city contributes around 55% of Kerala's total software exports. Thiruvananthapuram houses major multinational
Technology companies A technology company (or tech company) is an electronics-based technological company, including, for example, business relating to digital electronics, software, and internet-related services, such as e-commerce services. Details According to ''Fo ...
like
Oracle Corporation Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2020, Oracle was the third-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization. The company sells da ...
,
Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
, Allianz Technology, Envestnet, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Toonz Animation India, UST Global, Ernst & Young, Flytxt,
Navigant Veritas Capital is a New York-based private-equity firm founded in 1992 that invests in companies providing critical products and services, primarily technology-enabled products and services, to government and commercial customers worldwide. The ...
, Tata Elxsi,
McKinsey & Company McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. McKinsey is the oldest and ...
,
RR Donnelly R.R. Donnelley is an American Fortune 500 integrated communications company that provides marketing and business communications, commercial printing, and related services. Its corporate headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois, United States ...
and
Quest Global Quest Global (Formerly Quality Engineering & Software Technologies) provides end to end global product engineering services in the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Energy, Hi-Tech, Medical Devices, Rail and Semiconductor industries. The company ...
. Technopark is the largest information-technology park in India in terms of built-up area. It is the largest employment base campus in Kerala with 52,000 IT/ITES professionals and about 400 companies. Other IT, media and industrial campuses include Kinfra Film and Video Park, Kinfra Apparel Park, B-HUB and Chithranjali Film Complex. Several new IT, biotechnology and industrial campuses like
Technocity Technocity is a technology park an under construction integrated township in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India dedicated to electronics, software, and other information technology (IT). It was conceived in 2005 as the fourth phase of developmen ...
and Bio 360 Life sciences park are under construction. Tourism is a significant economic sector. The presence of natural attractions like beaches, backwaters, hills, and plantations and attractions like heritage, history, Ayurveda, medical tourism and knowledge centres attract many tourists. The city experienced a surge of investment in the real estate, infrastructure and retail sectors in 2016–17. Port-related activity is low mainly due to the underdevelopment of ports.
Vizhinjam International Seaport The Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport, also known as the Vizhinjam Port is an under-construction port on the Arabian Sea coast at city of Trivandrum . Developed in three phases, the first phase is expected to get completed b ...
is a transhipment port under construction. Vizhinjam port's location is close to the international shipping routes and, it is just 10–12 nautical miles from the busy Persian Gulf-
Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
shipping lane. The port also has a natural depth of 18 to 20 metres which can accommodate huge container ships. The berths at Vizhinjam port are designed to cater to vessels of up to 24,000 TEU.


Tourism

Thiruvananthapuram is a major tourist hub in India.
Kovalam Kovalam is a region in the city of Trivandrum, around 13 km southwest of the city center, whose beaches are a tourist destination. Etymology Kovalam means "coconut grove," after the coconut trees which are common there. History Kovala ...
and Varkala are popular beach towns near the city. Other important beaches include Poovar,
Shankumugham Beach Shankumugham Beach is a beach in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, south India. The beach is on the western side of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and is very close to Trivandrum International Airport. The vast stretch of white sand an ...
, Azhimala Beach, Vizhinjam Beach and Veli Beach. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple located at the heart of the city is known as the richest place of worship in the world. Other places of interest include
Agasthyamala Agastyaarkoodam is one of the peaks in the Western Ghats of Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, India. This peak is a part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve which lies on the border between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli ...
rain forests,
Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary The Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary in the southern state of Kerala in India is spread over the southeast corner of the Western Ghats, and covers a total area of . It is located between 77° 8’ to 77° 17’ east longitude and 8° 29’ to 8° 3 ...
, Kallar, Braemore,
Ponmudi Ponmudi (the Golden Peak) also known as Kashmir of Kerala is a hill station in the Peringamala gramapanchayath of Trivandrum District of Kerala in India. It is located 22km west of Vithura town, 53 km north-east of Trivandrum City, 78&n ...
hills, Poovar, Anchuthengu backwaters, Varkala Cliffs and Kappil- Edava lakes. The city is also known for its unique style of architecture involving
Kerala Architecture Kerala architecture is a style of architecture found mostly in the Indian state of Kerala and in parts of Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka. Kerala's style of architecture is a unique Hindu temple architecture that emerged in the southwest part of ...
with British and Dravidian influences.
Napier museum The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram, India. The Museum is grounds to the Trivandrum Zoo, one of the oldest zoological gardens in India. The zoo was established in 1857 over of land. It also c ...
, Thiruvanathapuram Zoo,
Padmanabha Swamy temple The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Tamil and Malayalam translates to "The City of Lord Ananta" (The City ...
, Kuthira Malika palace, Kilimanoor palace and The Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club heritage building are examples of this. The main museums include
Kerala Science and Technology Museum Kerala Science and Technology Museum is an autonomous institution established by Government of Kerala, India, in 1984, as a center for popularisation of science and scientific temper among the general public, especially among the young generati ...
(with its attached Priyadarsini
Planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...
),
Napier Museum The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram, India. The Museum is grounds to the Trivandrum Zoo, one of the oldest zoological gardens in India. The zoo was established in 1857 over of land. It also c ...
, Kerala Soil Museum and Koyikkal Palace Museum.
Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in India established in 2001, located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats and includes of which 1828 km2 is in Kerala and 1672.36 km2 is in Tamil Nadu. It encompasses ...
is listed in UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.


Culture

Thiruvananthapuram is known as the "Evergreen City of India" because of its green landscapes and the presence of many public parks. Thiruvananthapuram has historically been a cultural hub in South India due to the development of arts, architecture and liberal customs by the rulers of erstwhile Thiruvananthapuram. As a testimony to this, renowned artists like Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and
Raja Ravi Varma Raja Ravi Varma ( ml, രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ; 29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. His works are one of the best examples ...
hail from the city. Prominent social reformers such as
Sri Narayana Guru Narayana Guru, , (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritua ...
,
Chattampi Swamikal Chattampi Swamikal (25 August 1853 – 5 May 1924) was a Hindu sage and social reformer. His thoughts and work influenced the launching of many social, religious, literary and political organisations and movements in Kerala and for the first ti ...
, Ayyankali, Vakkom Moulavi and
C. V. Raman Pillai Cannankara Velayudhan Raman Pillai (19 May 1858 – 21 March 1922), also known as C. V., was one of the major Indian novelists and playwrights and a pioneering playwright and novelist of Malayalam literature. He was known for his historical nove ...
also are from Thiruvananthapuram. Two of the three
Malayalam triumvirate poets The ''Prāchīna Kavitrayam'', (Ancient triumvirate) of Malayalam poetry are Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, Cherusseri Namboothiri and Kunchan Nambiar. These medieval era triumvirate poets was chosen in the basis of Bhakthi. The modern triumvirate p ...
,
Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer (Malayalam: ഉള്ളൂർ എസ്. പരമേശ്വര അയ്യർ; 6 June 1877 – 15 June 1949), born Sambasivan but popularly known as Ulloor, was an Indian poet of Malayalam literature and a histo ...
and Kumaran Asan are from Thiruvananthapuram. Annual literature festivals like the Kovalam Literary Festival, are held in the city. Literary development is further aided by state institutions such as the State Central Library, one of the oldest public libraries in India, which was established in 1829, and other major libraries including the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Central library, and the Kerala University Library. Thiruvananthapuram has been a hub of
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
since the days of Maharaja of Travancore, Swathi Thirunal. Thiruvananthapuram is known for many music festivals like the Navarathri Music Festival, one of the oldest festivals of its kind in South India,
Swathi Sangeethotsavam Swathi Sangeethotsavam (Swathi Music Festival) is a ten-day festival of music celebrating the compositions of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal. The festival is held from 4 to 13 January every year at Kuthira Malika, Trivandrum, where the Maharaja is be ...
, Soorya Music fest, Neelakanta Sivan Music Fest and many other music festivals are organised by various cultural groups. The 111-day-long
Soorya Festival The Soorya Festival is one of the world's largest arts festivals, which in 2017 spans 111 days and featured 2,000 artists from across India. It is the biggest art and cultural event in Kerala. The Soorya Festival features various art forms and e ...
is the biggest art and cultural event in Kerala. The Soorya Festival features film festivals, theatre festivals, dance, music, painting and photography exhibitions. The Malayalam film Industry was started in Thiruvananthapuram. The first Malayalam feature film,
Vigathakumaran ''Vigathakumaran'' ( en, The Lost Child, italic=yes) is a 1928 Indian silent film written, produced and directed by J. C. Daniel. He also played the role of hero in the movie. A social drama, ''Vigathakumaran'' was the first Malayalam feature ...
directed by
J. C. Daniel Joseph Chellayya Daniel Nadar (28 November 1900 27 April 1975) was an Indian filmmaker who is considered as the ''father of Malayalam cinema''. He was the first film-maker from Kerala. He produced, directed, wrote, photographed, edited and ac ...
was released in Thiruvananthapuram. J. C. Daniel is considered the father of Malayalam film industry. He also established the first film studio in Kerala, the Travancore National Pictures at Thiruvananthapuram in 1926. The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which is held every year in December, is one of Asia's largest film festivals in terms of viewer participation. In addition to various film festivals, the presence of the Central Board of Film Certification's regional office, many movie studios and production facilities like the Uma Studio,
Chitranjali Studio Chitranjali ( ml, ചിത്രാഞ്ജലി) is a film production studio located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was established in 1980s by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC). The studio is located in the hil ...
, Merryland Studio, Kinfra Film and Video Park and Vismayas Max contribute to the growth of Thiruvananthapuram as a centre of cinema. Apart from the famous Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the city's architecture is championed by the
Napier Museum The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram, India. The Museum is grounds to the Trivandrum Zoo, one of the oldest zoological gardens in India. The zoo was established in 1857 over of land. It also c ...
and
Thiruvananthapuram Zoo The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo (also known as Trivandrum Zoo) is located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. It occupies of woodland, lakes, and lawns. History Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in India. ...
, one of the oldest zoos in India. Other architectural landmarks include Kuthira Malika Palace, Kowdiar Palace, Attukal temple, Beemapally Mosque, Connemara Market, and the
Mateer Memorial Church Mateer Memorial Church is a protestant church located in Trivandrum, India. It is under the Church of South India. It was built in December, 1906, in the heart of the city. History Before the construction of the M.M. Church L.M.S people of ...
. Thiruvananthapuram was the main centre of Laurie Baker's architecture. Along with the major festivals of Onam, Vishu, Deepavali, and Navaratri, Christian and Islamic festivals like Christmas,
Eid ul-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...
,
Bakrid ''Bakrid'' is a 2019 Indian Tamil language drama film written and directed by Jagadeesan Subu. The film stars Vikranth and a camel called Sarah. The film is the first Indian and Tamil film in Kollywood history to portray a camel in the pivotal ...
and Milad-e-sheriff, the diverse ethnic populace of the city celebrates several local festivals like
Attukal Pongala Attukal Pongala is a 10-day religious festival celebrated at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala. On the ninth day there is a huge gathering of millions of women on the temple surroundings. These wom ...
, Beemapally Uroos, Vettukaad Church Festival, Padmanabhaswamy Temple Aaraattu and Lakshadeepam festival. During the Onam festival, the state government conducts several cultural events for a week in the city. The
Attukal Pongala Attukal Pongala is a 10-day religious festival celebrated at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala. On the ninth day there is a huge gathering of millions of women on the temple surroundings. These wom ...
festival attracts millions of women devotees from across India and abroad. It is the largest gathering of women in the world. Germany's Goethe Zentrum, France's Alliance Française and Russia's Gorky Bhavan centres host a wide range of events and programmes throughout the year. The general cuisine of the people is Keralite cuisine, which is generally characterised by an abundance of
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
and spices. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
and North Indian cuisines, are popular. Thiruvananthapuram has many restaurants offering Arabic, Italian,
Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...
and
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
cuisines.


Transport


Public transport

The majority of bus services are conducted by government operators. There are also private operators. The city buses operated by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) are an important and reliable means of public transport available in the city. The main bus stations in the city are the Central Bus Station in Thampanoor, where most of the long-distance buses ply from, and the city bus station in East Fort, where most city buses ply from. Three-wheeled, yellow and black
auto-rickshaws An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...
and taxis, are other popular forms of public transport.
Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro is a proposed Light Rapid Transit ( LRT) system in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. History Thiruvananthapuram's first attempt to build a rapid transit system for the ci ...
is a fully elevated metro railrapid transit system planned to ease the congestion in the city.


Road

Thiruvananthapuram has a well-developed
road transport Road transport or road transportation is a type of transport using roads. Transport on roads can be roughly grouped into the transportation of goods and transportation of people. In many countries licensing requirements and safety regulations e ...
infrastructure. The roads in the city are maintained by the Thiruvananthapuram Roads Development Company Limited (TRDCL) and Kerala PWD. TRDCL manages the 42 km city roads which come under the Thiruvananthapuram City Roads Improvement Project (TRCIP), which is the first urban road project in India. TRCIP is a Public-private partnership project to improve and maintain the existing road network in the city to cater to the needs of rapid urbanisation. TRCIP has won the International Road Federation's Global Road Achievement Awards in 2015. TCRIP has also been selected by United Nations as a replicable Public Private Partnership model. It was one of the 12 Public-private partnership project case studies from across the world which fulfil the
Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...
of the UN Agenda 2030. Thiruvananthapuram is served by National Highway 66 of India's National Highways system. The city is connected to the North-South Corridor of the National Highway system at Aralvaimozhi, which is 80 km south of the city. The
State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbere ...
, which commonly known as the Main Central Road is an arterial highway in the city. Other major highways in the city are State Highway 2 and State Highway 45. The
Mahatma Gandhi Road This is a list of roads across the world named after the Indian anti-colonial nationalist and lawyer, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Mahatma Gandhi), known for his nonviolent resistance to lead a successful campaign for India's independence from ...
is the main arterial road in the city. Another important road is the Kowdiar Road, which is also known as the Royal Road, as it leads to the Kowdiar Palace.


Rail

Thiruvananthapuram is a divisional headquarters in the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Long-distance trains originate from Thiruvananthapuram Central and Kochuveli railway terminals. Kochuveli railway terminal is developed to ease congestion on the central station and it acts as a satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central. Thiruvananthapuram Central is the busiest railway station in Kerala. Other railway stations in the city are
Thiruvananthapuram Pettah Thiruvananthapuram Pettah 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 from the Thi ...
,
Nemom railway station Nemom Railway Terminal also known as Thiruvananthapuram South Terminal, (Code:NEM) is one of the six railway stations serving the city of Trivandrum which is also proposed to act as the second satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central rai ...
, Veli railway station and
Kazhakoottam railway station Kazhakuttam railway station (Code:KZK) is one of the 5 railway stations serving the Indian city of Trivandrum, capital of the state, Kerala. It lies on Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram rail line. Kazhakuttam is currently the 4th most revenue generat ...
. Being the southernmost municipal corporation in India, many long train services of Indian Railways originate from Thiruvananthapuram like Trivandrum Rajdhani Express,
Thiruvananthapuram - Silchar Superfast Express Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
and Kochuveli - Amritsar Weekly Express. There are plans to develop a railway terminal at
Nemom railway station Nemom Railway Terminal also known as Thiruvananthapuram South Terminal, (Code:NEM) is one of the six railway stations serving the city of Trivandrum which is also proposed to act as the second satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central rai ...
to reduce congestion at Thiruvananthapuram Central.


Air

Thiruvananthapuram is served by the
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , is an international airport which serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and fifth international airport of In ...
, located at Chakai, only from the city centre. The airport started operations in 1935 and is the first airport in Kerala. Being one of the gateways to the state, it has direct connectivity to all the major cities in India as well as the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, the Maldives and
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. As the city is headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport caters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Coast Guard for their strategic operations. IAF has an exclusive apron to handle all their operations. The airport also caters to the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology which carries out pilot-training activities.


Sea

Small cruise ships often dock at Vizhinjam Harbour. A
cruise terminal A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for example) ...
is under construction at Vizhinjam Transshipment Terminal. Vizhinjam seaport has been designated by the government as an authorised immigration check-post for entry and exit from India for international ships and cruises.


Education


Primary and secondary education

Schools in Thiruvananthapuram are classified as aided, unaided and Government schools. The government schools are run directly by the Kerala State Education Board and follow the syllabus prescribed by the state government. The aided schools also follow the state syllabus. Malayalam and English are the primary languages of instruction;
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
and Hindi are also used. The schools are affiliated with The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and
National Institute of Open Schooling The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), formerly National Open School (name changed in 2002), is the board of education under the Union Government of India. It was established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Gove ...
(NIOS). In the National Achievement Survey conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Thiruvananthapuram is ranked as the best city in Kerala. The notable schools in the city include St. Mary's Higher Secondary School, which is considered one of the largest schools in Asia, with the total number of students exceeding 12,000, Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School,
Government Higher Secondary School for Girls Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Cotton Hill is a school for girls located in Vazhuthacaud in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. Campus GGHSS Cotton Hill has a total area of 9 acres of woode ...
,
Holy Angel's Convent Trivandrum The Holy Angels' Convent Higher Secondary School is one of the oldest educational institutions in the city of Trivandrum/Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Kerala state in India. History This school for girls was opened on 10 November 188 ...
, SMV School,
Trivandrum International School Trivandrum International School is a co-educational international school situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is situated 6 km from Attingal Town, 20 km from Varkala Town, 23 km from Trivandrum City and 40 km fr ...
,
Chinmaya Vidyalayas Chinmaya Vidyalayas are a group of schools operated by the Central Chinmaya Mission Trust (CCMT), founded by Swami Chinmayananda and currently headed by Swami Tejomayananda.There are more than 80 Chinmaya Vidyalayas across 12 states in India ...
,
Kendriya Vidyalaya The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of central government schools in India that are instituted under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,248 schools in India, and three abroad in Moscow ...
, Loyola School,
Christ Nagar School, Thiruvananthapuram Christ Nagar Higher Secondary school started in 1976 as a private English Medium School in Trivandrum, India, recognised by the state government of Kerala as a minority educational institution. In 2002, Christ Nagar High School was upgraded to h ...
, Sarvodaya Vidyalaya,
Nirmala Bhavan Higher Secondary School Nirmala Bhavan Higher Secondary School, founded in 1964, is a girls school run by the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament(S.A.B.S). This religious congregation was founded in 1908 by the first Bishop of Changanacherry, Mar Thomas K ...
,
Arya Central School Arya Central school, is at Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram, an English Medium school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education. It was founded in 1965 by Sri. Sreekrishnanand Acharya. References External links CBSE affiliated school ...
, Jyothi Nilayam School, St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School,
St. Thomas Residential School St. Thomas Schools is a privately-owned coeducational boarding high school, at Thiruvananthapuram in the south Indian state of Kerala. It is an English Medium School affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations. The ...
,
The Oxford School ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
and
VSSC Central School VSSC Central School is an English-medium co-educational public school located in the suburb of Thumba, in Thiruvananthapuram, in the Indian state of Kerala. The school offers programmes from grades 1–12. Admission is restricted to children of ...
.


Higher education and research

Thiruvananthapuram is a major educational and research hub with various institutions in the fields of
space science Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...
, information technology, physical science, biotechnology, engineering and medicine. There are three universities in Thiruvananthapuram: two state universities and one deemed university. The state universities are the University of Kerala and
APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, formerly known as Kerala Technological University (KTU), is a state owned public university headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It is both a teaching and affiliatio ...
.
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) is a government-aided institute and deemed university for the study and research of space science, located at Valiamala, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is the first universit ...
(IIST), is a government-aided institute and deemed university. IIST is the first of its kind in the country, to offer graduate courses and research in space sciences, space technology and space applications. The city also houses two Institutes of National Importance; Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) and
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) are a group of premier public research institutions in India. The institutes were established by the Government of India through the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHR ...
(IISER). Thiruvananthapuram is one of the regional headquarters of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The
Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram The Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram (also known as Thiruvananthapuram Medical College or Trivandrum Medical College) is in Thiruvananthapuram (the capital of Kerala), India. Founded in 1951, it was inaugurated by Prime Minister J ...
is the first and a premier
medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
in Kerala, founded in 1951. Other notable medical schools apart from SCTIMST (which provides super-specialty courses in cardiac and neuroscience) and
Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) at Thiruvananthapuram is a cancer care hospital and research centre. RCC was established in 1981 by the Government of Kerala and the Government of India. It is located in the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College ...
(which provides PG courses in radiotherapy and pathology, and super-specialty courses) includes
SUT Academy of Medical Sciences SUT Academy of Medical Sciences is located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state, India. It was founded in 2006 and is managed under the Sri. Moogambigai Charitable Trust. Location SUT Academy of Medical Sciences is in the capit ...
, Sree Gokulam Medical College and Government Ayurveda College. The city houses several prominent
legal education Legal education is the education of individuals in the principles, practices, and theory of law. It may be undertaken for several reasons, including to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for admission to legal practice in a particular j ...
institutions. The Government Law College, formed in 1875, is one of the oldest legal education institutions in India. The
Kerala Law Academy Kerala Law Academy (KLA), also referred to as the Kerala Law Academy Law College, is a self financing law college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Founded in 1967, it is the first, and was for many years the only, self financing law instit ...
is another major legal education institution. The major
Business school A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, school of business administration, o ...
s include
Asian School of Business Asian School of Business is an AICTE ( All India Council for Technical Education) approved business school located in Technocity West, Pallipuram, Trivandrum, Kerala. India. The institution was established in 2005. Its aim is to facilitate an ...
, CET School of Management and
Institute of Management in Kerala Institute of Management in Kerala (IMK) is a management institute in India under the University of Kerala. It is a government institution established in the year 1991. The institute is located near the international business hub of Kerala, ...
(IMK). There are over 23 engineering education institutions in Thiruvananthapuram. Apart from
IIST Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) is a government-aided institute and deemed university for the study and research of space science, located at Valiamala, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is the first universit ...
and IISER, the other major engineering education institutions include College of Engineering, Trivandrum (CET), which is the first engineering college in Kerala, Government Engineering College BartonHill (GEC),
Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering (SCTCE) or SCT College of Engineering is a state-sponsored engineering college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was established in 1995 by the Government of Kerala. In 2006, ''Outlook'' magaz ...
(SCT), ER & DCI Institute of Technology, University College of Engineering, Mohandas college of Engineering and Technology and
Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology (Autonomous), is an engineering educational institution located at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India offering engineering education and research. The college is located on a hillock in the Betha ...
. The University College Thiruvananthapuram established in 1866 and H.H. The Maharaja's College for Women established in 1864 are two of the oldest institutions of higher education in India. Other prominent undergraduate and postgraduate colleges include the Government Arts College, Mahatma Gandhi College, Mar Ivanios College, Government Sanskrit College, Loyola College of Social Sciences,
St. Xavier's College A multitude of schools and universities have been named after St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Roman Catholic saint and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. This page lists notable educational institutions named after St. Xavier, arranged by country a ...
and All Saints College. Major fine arts colleges are Swathi Thirunal College of Music, which is the first music academy in Kerala and
College of Fine Arts Trivandrum The College of Fine Arts Kerala is a fine arts college located in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). History The college was founded in 1881 by Moolam Thirunal Sir Rama Varma, the Maharaja for the state of Travancore. The college was first known ...
. The
Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) is part of the academic wing of the Sports Authority of India, and is situated at Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was founded on 17 August 1985 under the auspices of t ...
is one of the two physical education academic institutes of the
Sports Authority of India The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is the apex national sports body of India, established in 1982 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of Government of India for the development of sports in India. SAI has 2 Sports Academic institution ...
(SAI). The premier research institutes in Thiruvananthapuram include: Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala (IIITMK),
National Institute of Speech and Hearing The National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH) is an institute devoted to the education and rehabilitation of individuals with speech-language and hearing impairments located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city in the Indian state of Ke ...
(NISH), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-Dit),
Centre for Development Studies The Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India is a premier Social Science research institute. It is also a higher education institution providing M.A. course in applied economics and PhD course in economics. It is ...
(CDS),
Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute "Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute", (formerly Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute) renamed in the fond memory of visionary Prime Minister of India Shri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is an autonomous Institute ...
,
National Centre for Earth Science Studies The National Centre for Earth Science Studies(NCESS) (Malayalam: ദേശിയ ഭൗമ ശാസ്ത്ര പഠന കേന്ദ്രം) is an autonomous research centre to promote scientific and technological research and developmen ...
(NCESS),
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is an Indian autonomous scientific society, operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. History CDAC was created in November 1987, initially as the Centre f ...
(C-DAC) and
Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library, University of Kerala, is one of the leading centres of Indology in India. It is located at Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The institute carry out researches on Indian language ma ...
. Kerala University is ranked as the best university in Kerala according to the
MHRD The Ministry of Education ( MoE; formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development from 1985 to 2020) is a ministry of the Government of India, responsible for the implementation of the National Policy on Education. The Ministry is further di ...
's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Kerala University also ranked top in overall institution rankings in Kerala. In engineering,
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) is a government-aided institute and deemed university for the study and research of space science, located at Valiamala, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is the first universit ...
(IIST) is ranked as the best in Kerala and College of Engineering, Trivandrum (CET) is ranked third in Kerala. College of Engineering, Trivandrum is also ranked fourth in India and first in Kerala in architecture institution rankings. The University College is listed as the best college in Kerala.


Media

Thiruvananthapuram has numerous newspaper publications, television and radio stations. Most of the media houses in Kerala are based in Thiruvananthapuram. The first Malayalam channel, Doordarshan Malayalam began broadcasting from the city in 1981.
Asianet Asianet may refer to: Disney Star channels *Asianet Communications, an Indian media company wholly owned by Disney Star **Asianet (TV channel), a Malayalam language general entertainment channel **Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertai ...
, the first private channel in Malayalam, also started its telecasting from the city in 1993. The other Malayalam channels based in the city include Asianet News, Amrita TV, Kappa TV, Kairali TV, Kairali We,
Mathrubhumi News Mathrubhumi News is a Malayalam-language television news channel owned by '' Mathrubhumi Printing And Publishing Co. Ltd.'' The news channel was launched on 23 January 2013, with the lighting of the traditional lamp by then MD late M. P. Veerend ...
, Kaumudy TV, JaiHind TV, News18 Kerala and People TV. All major Malayalam channels, including
Asianet Asianet may refer to: Disney Star channels *Asianet Communications, an Indian media company wholly owned by Disney Star **Asianet (TV channel), a Malayalam language general entertainment channel **Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertai ...
, Janam TV,
Jeevan TV Jeevan TV is a news and entertainment Malayalam television channel. Its headquarters is at Palarivattom, Kochi, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and depende ...
, MediaOne TV and
Manorama News Manorama News is a free-to-air Malayalam-language news channel operated and owned by Malayala Manorama Television (MMTV). The channel, based at Aroor, near Cherthala, Alappuzha Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of ...
have production facilities or offices in the city. TV channels are accessible via cable subscription, direct-broadcast satellite services, or internet-based television. Prominent Direct-to-Home (DTH) entertainment services in Thiruvananthapuram include
Sun Direct DTH Sun Direct is an Indian direct broadcast satellite service provider. Sun Direct was launched in December 2007. It transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in India. Sun Direct uses MPEG-4 digital compression, transmittin ...
, DD Direct+,
Videocon d2h Videocon Industries Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai. The group had 17 manufacturing sites in India and plants in Mainland China, Poland, Italy and Mexico. It was the third largest picture tube manufact ...
, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV, Airtel digital TV and Tata Play. Major Malayalam newspapers available are '' Mathrubhumi'', '' Malayala Manorama'', '' Kerala Kaumudi'', ''
Deshabhimani ''Deshabhimani'' is a Malayalam newspaper and the organ of the Kerala State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). It started as a weekly in Calicut on 6 September 1942 and converted to a daily in 1946. The paper now has ten diffe ...
'', Madhyamam, ''
Janmabhumi ''Janmabhumi'' is an Indian Malayalam-language daily newspaper, owned by Mathruka Pracharanalayam Ltd. and headquartered in Kochi, Kerala. It was launched as an evening paper from Kozhikode on 28 April 1977. From 14 November 1977 onwards it w ...
'', '' Chandrika'', ''
Thejas ''Thejas'' is a Malayalam language Indian online news website and formerly a newspaper that was established in 2006. It was initially a morning newspaper published from Calicut. Owned by Intermedia Publishing, a private limited company in the ...
'', '' Siraj Daily'', '' Deepika'' and ''
Rashtra Deepika ''Deepika'' (; known as ''Nasrani Deepika'' till 1939) is an Indian Malayalam-language newspaper, which is one of the oldest newspapers published in India. Started in 1887, it is the oldest Malayalam newspaper now in circulation. Deepika publis ...
''. The English language newspapers with editions from Thiruvananthapuram are '' The New Indian Express'', ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'', ''
The Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded by Rajagopal Mudaliar in the 1930s & currently owned by Samagrah Commercial Pvt Limited. It is published in Hyderabad, Telangana, by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (D ...
'' and '' The Times of India''. All India Radio, the national state-owned radio broadcaster, airs
Medium wave Medium wave (MW) is the part of the medium frequency (MF) radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. The spectrum provides about 120 channels with more limited sound quality than FM stations on the FM broadcast band. During the daytime ...
and
Shortwave radio Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 me ...
stations in the city. The Vividh Bharati of All India Radio also airs an
FM radio FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting using frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to provide high fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting is cap ...
station known as Ananthapuri FM. Other FM radio channels broadcast from Thiruvananthapuram are Big FM 92.7 MHz,
Club FM 94.3 Club FM is a private FM radio station for the state of Kerala in India, operated by the Mathrubhumi newspaper in Kerala, specialising in popular music throughout the day. It received three RAPA awards in 2007, instituted by the Radio and TV Adv ...
MHz, Radio Mirchi 98.3 MHz,
Red FM 93.5 Red FM (Often stylized as ''Superhits 93.5 RED FM'') is an Indian FM radio network headquartered in Chennai and owned by Chennai-based Sun Group. The network broadcasts content in various Indian languages including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Telu ...
 MHz and Radio DC 90.4 MHz.


Sports

The most popular sports in Thiruvananthapuram are
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
. The city hosted the first international cricket match in Kerala at the University Stadium in 1984. The city also hosted the first Twenty20 International cricket match in Kerala. The
Kerala Cricket Association The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA; ml, കേരളാ ക്രിക്കറ്റ്‌ അസോസിയേഷന്‍) is the governing body of the game of cricket in the Kerala state of the Republic of India. It is affiliated to t ...
is headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. Prominent cricketers from Thiruvananthapuram include
Sanju Samson Sanju Viswanath Samson (; born 11 November 1994) is an Indian international cricketer who captains Kerala in domestic cricket and Rajasthan Royals in Indian Premier League. A right-handed wicket-keeper-batter, he was the vice-captain of the ...
,
Raiphi Gomez Raiphi Vincent Gomez (born 16 October 1985) is an Indian cricketer who played for Kerala and Puducherry in domestic cricket. He is an all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls right arm medium-fast. He was bought by Rajasthan Royals ahead of t ...
,
Ryan Ninan Ryan Behanan Ninan (born 19 November 1985 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) is an Indian first-class cricketer who played for Karnataka, Goa, Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He moved to Melbourne in January 2014 for higher educati ...
,
Aneil Nambiar Aneil Padman Nambiar (born 2 March 1984) is a former Indian cricketer. Nambiar is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium pace. He was born at Trivandrum, Kerala, and is more commonly known by his nickname Johnny Nambiar. While in ...
,
K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan Karumanaseri Narayanaiyer Ananthapadmanabhan (born 8 September 1969) is an Indian former first-class cricketer from the state of Kerala. He played for the India "A" national team in international cricket and for South Zone and Kerala in Indian ...
,
Rohan Prem Rohan Prem (born 13 September 1986) is an Indian cricketer who plays domestic cricket for Kerala in domestic cricket. He is a left-handed middle order batsman and off-spin bowler. Early and personal life Rohan hails from Kannammoola in Thiruv ...
,
Udiramala Subramaniam Udiramala Subramaniam (2 March 1947 – 28 November 2016) was an Indian cricketer. He played six first-class matches for Kerala between 1970/71 and 1976/77. See also * List of Kerala cricketers This is a list of cricketers who have pl ...
,
P. M. K. Mohandas Ponnambath Mambally Krishnan Mohandas (31 January 1948 – 17 October 2004) was an Indian cricketer who played at first-class level for Kerala during the 1972–73 season. He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium-fast bowler. Mohandas ...
,
Bhaskar Pillai Krishnan Bhaskar Pillai (born 27 February 1963) is a former Indian cricketer who was a prolific run scorer for Delhi and North Zone. A right-handed batsman, he had particular success between 1983 and 1989 in the Ranji Trophy where he averag ...
and Padmanabhan Prasanth. The Sports Hub, University Stadium,
St Xavier's College Ground St Xavier's College Ground (also known as KCA Cricket Ground) is a cricket ground in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, India. The first recorded match on the ground was in 2014/15. It was used as a venue for a first-class match in the 2016–17 Ranji ...
, KCA Cricket Stadium Mangalapuram, Medical College ground and
Vellyani Agricultural College Ground Vellyani Agricultural College Ground is a multi purpose stadium in Vellyani, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The ground is mainly used for organizing matches of football, cricket and other sports. The stadium has hosted four Ranji Trophy matches ...
are the main cricket grounds in the city.
The Sports Hub, Trivandrum The Sports Hub, Trivandrum, commonly known as Greenfield International Stadium, and formerly known as Trivandrum International Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Kerala, used mainly for cricket. The stadium is located at Kariavattom in Thir ...
, commonly known as Greenfield Stadium is one of the largest cricket and football stadiums in India. Thiruvananthapuram hosted the
2015 SAFF Championship The 2015 SAFF Championship (officially known as the SAFF Suzuki Cup 2015 for sponsorship reasons) was the 11th edition of the SAFF Championship, the biennial international men's football championship of South Asia organized by SAFF. It was he ...
at the Greenfield Stadium. SBI Kerala,
Titanium FC Titanium FC or Travancore Titanium FC or later known as Titanium Trivandrum FC is a professional football club based in Travancore, Kerala, India (present day Thiruvananthapuram). It participated in Kerala Premier League and participated in Nati ...
, KSEB, Kovalam FC and Travancore Royals FC are the major football clubs based in Thiruvananthapuram. Football is usually played in the Greenfield International Stadium(The Sports Hub),
Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium is a prominent football stadium situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The stadium, also known as Police Stadium and the stadium was constructed in honor of the first Inspector-general of police of Kerala ...
and University Stadium. Prominent football players from Thiruvananthapuram include
Jobby Justin Jobby Justin (born 10 November 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for I-League club Gokulam Kerala. Career Justin grew up playing football on the beaches of Vettucaud but did not take the game seriously until ...
,
Vinu Jose Vinu Jose is an Indian football player, who took part in the FIFA World Cup 2006 Group 3 matches against Oman and Singapore. He represented the Indian team four times. Vinu Jose was also part of Kerala's winning team in the 57th Santosh Trop ...
, Thomas Sebastian, M Rajeev Kumar and Ganeshan. The city has facilities to host most types of sports. Thiruvananthapuram was one of the main venues for the
2015 National Games of India The 2015 National Games of India, also known as the ''35th National Games of India'' and informally as Kerala 2015, was held from 31 January 2015 to 14 February 2015 across seven districts of Kerala, India. It was the second time that Kerala ho ...
. Athletic competitions are usually held at the University Stadium,
Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium is a prominent football stadium situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The stadium, also known as Police Stadium and the stadium was constructed in honor of the first Inspector-general of police of Kerala ...
and Central Stadium. The Trivandrum Marathon is a
marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
organised by the Trivandrum runners club every year. There will be two main races; a half marathon of 21 km and a full marathon of 42.19 km. A special 2 km fun run is also organised for public participation. Trivand Run is another marathon conducted every January in the city.
Jimmy George Indoor Stadium The Jimmy George Sports Hub, formerly known as the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium, is a stadium in Vellayambalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was constructed in 1987. Promising players in Badminton (Shuttle) undergo regular practice in t ...
is a major indoor stadium in the state. It is used for conducting basketball, volleyball, table tennis, gymnastics,
aquatics Aquatics may refer to: *Aquatic sports in the Olympics and other international competitions, including the disciplines of swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, and open water swimming *Water-related sports more broadly (including boa ...
and
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
. The stadium has the first altitude-simulated training facility in South India, known as Astra. The major sports training and coaching institutions include the
Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) is part of the academic wing of the Sports Authority of India, and is situated at Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was founded on 17 August 1985 under the auspices of t ...
(LNCPE), TOSS Academy and the Tenvic Sports Coaching Academy at the Sports Hub. Basketball tournaments are usually conducted by the schools in the city. Thiruvananthapuram hosted the 61st National Shooting Championship at the Vattiyoorkavu Shooting Range.
Surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
is also a popular sport on the beaches. Many surfing and standup paddleboarding tournaments are held in the city. The surf competitions are usually held on Kovalam Beach and
Varkala Beach Varkala Beach, also known as Papanasham Beach is a beach situated in Varkala Town of Varkala Municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, India. The beach skirts the Arabian Sea, part of the Indian Ocean. Sights Varkala beach is the ...
. Paragliding is another adventure sport usually seen on Varkala Beach. The SAI Trivandrum golf club, established in 1850, is one of the oldest golf courses in India. It is leased to the
Sports Authority of India The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is the apex national sports body of India, established in 1982 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of Government of India for the development of sports in India. SAI has 2 Sports Academic institution ...
.


See also

* List of people from Thiruvananthapuram


References


Further reading

* *


External links


Official District website


* List of Railway Stations in Trivandrum {{Authority control Metropolitan cities in India Cities and towns in Thiruvananthapuram district Indian capital cities Populated coastal places in India Port cities in India Kingdom of Travancore Former capital cities in India Tourism in Kerala