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Tourist Attractions in Trivandrum |
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Tourist Attractions in
Trivandrum
The main tourist attractions in Trivandrum are its beaches,
backwater areas, temples and museums. These tourist
attractions are the Shanghumukham Beach, Veli Tourist Village,
Akkulam Tourist Village, Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple,
Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Museum and the Museum
complex, Kanakakunnu palace, Thiruvallam, Kovalam beach,
Neyyar Dam, Varkala, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary. |
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Veli Tourist Village
The Veli tourist village is sandwiched between the Veli lagoon
and the Arabian Sea. This picnic spot is about 8 kms from
Trivandrum. The lagoon here is separated from the sea by a
narrow sand bar. Various facilities are available at the
village |
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which includes
water sports in the lagoon and an 18 acre waterfront park with
a floating bridge that connects the village to the beach.
Paddleboats and speedboats can be hired at this place to
explore the charms of the lagoon in a leisurely way. The
children can also enjoy climbing over the huge sculptures
which dot the landscape. |
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Akkulam
Tourist Village
Akkulam Tourist Village is a popular picnic spot with boating
facilities on the lake and a well equipped children's park. A
swimming pool is also here in this village. |
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Thiruvallam
Thiruvallam is a serene backwater destination, located about
10 km from Trivandrum. This backwater destination is located
near Kovalam and famous for the canoe rides. |
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Kovalam
Beach |
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Kovalam
Beach
Kovalam Beach is the internationally renowned beach in
Kerala. This beach is located about 16 kms from Trivandrum and
has been a favourite tourist place since 1930. Kovalam
consists of three adjacent crescent shaped and palm fringed
beaches. The southernmost beach is known as the Lighthouse
beach and is the most popular beach. The Lighthouse beach and
Hawah beach are separated from less populated beaches north
and south by rocky highlands. The town proper is at Kovalam
Junction, about 1.5 kms. from the beaches. Accommodation of
every type and to suit every type of budget is available here.
The beaches are visited for sunbathing, watersports, shopping,
catamaran cruising, yoga, meditation and rejuvenative
Ayurvedic body toning massages. |
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Shanghumukham Beach
The Shanghumukham Beach is located about 16 kms from
Trivandrum. This beach is a favourite place for the sunset
viewers. The main attractions of this beach are an indoor
recreation club, the Matsya Kanyaka (a gigantic, 35 m long
sculpture of a mermaid) and a restaurant shaped like a
starfish. The beach is situated nearby Thiruvananthapuram
airport and Veli Tourist Village. |
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Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Museum
The Kuthiramalika palace was built by Maharaja Swathi
Thirunal Balarama Verma, the king of Travancore. This palace
is a rare specimen of workmanship in the traditional
Travancore style architecture and also has exquisite wood
carvings. The palace which is today a museum, is located near
the Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple. This palace museum displays
paintings and various priceless collections of the royal
family. |
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Sree
Padmanabha Swami Temple |
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The most famous temple of Trivandrum is the beautiful Sree
Padmanabha Swami temple, that is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
This temple is located inside the East fort. This temple is
perfect blend of Kerala and Dravidian styles of sculpture and
architecture. It is known for its mural paintings and stone
carvings. This temple is one of the 108 |
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sacred Vishnu
temples in India. In this temple, the Lord Vishnu reclines on Anantha,
the serpent. Only Hindus in traditional attire can enter this
temple. |
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Padmanabhapuram Palace
Padmanabhapuram Palace, the majestic old palace is situated on
the way to Nagercoil, about 54 kms. from Trivandrum. This
palace is famous for its 17th and 18th century murals, carved
Mahogany ceiling, coloured mica windows, secret underground
passages, inner courtyards, durbar hall, museum, four poster
medicinal bed, Belgian mirrors, pictures of Lord Krishna,
granite dance halls and special black shiny halls made of a
unique combination of egg white, jaggery, lime, burnt coconut,
charcoal and river sand. The palace is built in the
traditional Travancore style of architecture.
Science & Technology Museum & Priyadarshini Planetarium:
Science & Technology Museum was established to provide a
complete insight into the achievements of India in the fields
of science and technology. A visit to this museum is indeed a
great learning experience. Some of the exhibits include
science, technology and electronic devices. The Priyadarshini
Planetarium and Biotechnology Museum is also located inside
the museum.
Observatory
The observatory s located at the highest point in the city,
near the Museum complex and about 60 metres above the sea
level. From here one can have a bird's eye view of the city.
Museum Complex
The other main tourist attraction is the Museum complex. This
museum complex consists of the Napier Museum, Sree Chithra Art
Gallery and the Zoological park.
The Napier Museum was built in the 19th century in the Indo-Saracenic
architecture. This museum has a natural air-conditioning
system and houses a rare collection of archaeological and
historical artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a
temple chariot and ivory carvings.
Sree Chithra Art Gallery is located near the Napier Museum.
This art gallery displays the selected paintings of Raja Ravi
Verma, Svetlova and Nicholas Roerich and exquisite works from
the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of art in India. The
collection also includes paintings from China, Japan, Tibet
and Bali.
The Zoological Park is one of the first zoos in India, which
is located in a well-planned botanical garden. The huge trees
of frangipani and jacaranda dotted the sprawling lawns of the
park and various wild fowl swim in the lake. This park is like
a small jungle in the heart of the city and houses a reptile
house with rare species of snakes and other reptiles.
Kanakakunnu Palace
The Kanakakunnu palace and its sprawling grounds are today the
venue for many cultural meets and programmes. |
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Neyyar Dam
Neyyar Dam is a popular picnic spot, situated about 32 kms
from Trivandrum. Neyyar Dam has a watchtower, crocodile farm,
lion safari park and deer park. Boating facilities are also
available on the reservoir.
Aruvikkara Dam
Aruvikkara Dam is a picturesque picnic spot on
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the banks of
the Karamana river. Near the Durga temple here is a stream
full of fish that fearlessly come close to the shore to be fed
by the visitors. |
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Vizhinjam Rock cut Cave Temple
In the Vizhinjam Rock cut Cave Temple, there are rock cut
sculptures of the 18th century. The granite cave here encloses
a one-celled shrine with a loose sculpture of Vinanadhara
Dakshinamurthi. The outer wall of the cave temple depicts half
complete relics of the Hindu God Shiva with goddess Parvathi.
Varkala
Varkala is a seaside resort and spa. It is also an important
Hindu centre of pilgrimage. The final refuge of the Sree
Narayan Guru, the great social reformer is located near
Varkala, on the top of hill, called Sivagiri. The high cliffs
with mineral springs rise majestically from the coastline.
According to the myths, the sage Narada was approached by a
group of mendicants who confessed to have been sinned. The
Narada threw his valkkalam (cloth made of the bark of a tree)
into the air, and the place where it landed was known as
Varkala. The mendicants were directed by the Narada to offer
their prayers in the newly created place by the seashore. The
place where they prayed for redemption was known as the
Papanasham (redemption from sins) Beach. The Papanasham beach
is a quiet, secluded beach of sand and known for its mineral
springs and rocky cliffs. The main attractions here are the
2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple, the Nature Care
Centre and a century old tunnel. |
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Varkala Beach |
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Peppara
Wildlife Sanctuary
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is located about 50 kms from
Trivandrum. This sanctuary is spread over an area of 53 square
kms. on the Western Ghats and is easily accessible from
Vithurai, which is located on the way to Ponmudi. Peppara
wildlife sanctuary has a rich variety of flora and fauna and
dotted with hillocks, forests and eucalyptus plantations. The
animals which can be seen here include elephant, sambar,
leopard and lion-tailed macaque.
Ponmudi
Ponmudi is situated about 61 kms. from Trivandrum. Ponmudi is
an idyllic hill resort with narrow, winding pathways and cool,
green, wooded environment. Ponmudi is located at a height of
915 metres above sea level. Ponmudi is well known for its
beautiful mountain flowers, exotic butterflies, small rivulets
and springs. This hill station also has excellent trekking
trails. |
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