Thiruananthapuram, the jewel in the emerald necklace that Kerala is for the Indian sub-continent, must surely have 
been a "must see" destination for ages, long before National Geographic Traveller classified it as one. Surely long before Sage Parasurama , according to local legend, threw his divine battle axe from Kanyakumari to Gokarnam to wrest Kerala, God's own land, from the Varuna the sea god; before the times of Mahabali the democratic and just
ruler of this wonderful land who was sent down to the netherworld through deceit. It doesnt take any flights of fancy to imagine that this land fired the imaginations of intrepid travellers and explorers like Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Marco Polo, Fa Hien, and quite possibly, countless others from the pages of history, recorded or not.
Thiruvananthapuram, or Trivandrum, as it was conveniently re-christened by the English, is the southern-most district and Thiruvananthapuram city is the district headquarters as well as the State capital of Kerala. Thiru Anantha Puram, or the city of the Holy Anantha, is named after Ananthan, the cosmic serpent with a thousand heads, on whose coils Lord Mahavishnu reclines. This iconic representation is the
chief deity in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The temple was built by King Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal family when, in 1745, he shifted the Travancore capital from Padmanabhapuram in the south (today in the neighbouring State of Tamil Nadu) to Thiruvananthapuram
and started reigning as 'Padmanabha Dasa', the servant and representative of Lord Padmanabha--perhaps a nobler variant of the 'Divine Right Theory' that the West is familiar with . The vast temple complex, with its tall 'Gopuram' decorated with detailed carvings reflected in the huge temple tank, is today a centre of attraction for the pious, the tourist and the merely curious.
Thiruvananthapuram, built on seven hills, has today grown
into a sprawling metropolis; but thankfully the city still retains her past glory and charm, and in spite of the frenetic pace of modern life, perhaps it is the most sedate of the big cities of the State. The people too have retained their friendliness and hospitality, and communicating in English, Hindi or Tamil is as easy as it is in the native Malayalam, whether one is talking to a retired professor or to the man in the street. But be prepared for a 'dose' of highly individualistic observations though-- a hallmark of the Malayali that has enabled him to adapt and to survive the Tsunamis of alien cultures and ideas, and all things 'modern'. The old quarter 
of the city clusters in and around the East Fort, a protected landmark that dates back to the Royal days. The rightly famous Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple , the Navarathri Mandapam, where the annual musical fest is held as an offering to Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning , Kuthira Malika, a uniquely wonderful example of traditional architecture and the venue of the annual Swathi Thirunal music festival honouring the composer-king of Travancore are the best among the traditional structures that adorn the Fort enclave. The Mahatma Gandhi Road, the chief artery of the city, is lined by traditional mansions that proclaim the grandeur of the times past and modern high-rises that testify to the city's newfound affluence and a brashly commercial taste --red tile and timber vying with concrete and glass. What perhaps is special about the ambience of Thiruvananthapuram is the wonderful blend of the strongly traditional, the nostalgically Colonial and the outright modern elements, be it in architecture, in food or in the dress and manners of her people. The city's spirit of 'live and let live' is nowhere more evident than at Palayam (the Garrison, the seat of the old Cantonment), where three
centres of worships of three faiths rub shoulders--the ancient Ganapathy Temple (ostensibly built by the Maharajah for the prosperity of the Connemara Market nearby), the Palayam Muslim Mosque (get the correct name) and the Palayam Christian Cathedral (get the correct name) church with its distinctive Gothic tower.
Blessed with a pleasant climate virtually throughout the year, Thiruvananthapuram city sparkles after the monsoon rains.
After the 'hot' summers, which thankfully pale in comparison to the 'hotspots' of India, the welcome summer showers augur the festival season when Kerala decks herself out, and traditional colours and rhythms and characters straight from the pages of her ancient lore entice the visitor to another world. The festivities are crowned by Onam , the Spring harvest festival, today marked by traditional fare throughout the State, 
including the spirited race of the picturesque and majestic snake boats , the grand elephant parade, when hordes of caparisoned pachyderms lend an air of fantasy to the setting, and the special presentations of Kathakali , Mohiniyattom , Koodiyattom and other traditional arts of Kerala. etc etc
been a "must see" destination for ages, long before National Geographic Traveller classified it as one. Surely long before Sage Parasurama , according to local legend, threw his divine battle axe from Kanyakumari to Gokarnam to wrest Kerala, God's own land, from the Varuna the sea god; before the times of Mahabali the democratic and justruler of this wonderful land who was sent down to the netherworld through deceit. It doesnt take any flights of fancy to imagine that this land fired the imaginations of intrepid travellers and explorers like Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Marco Polo, Fa Hien, and quite possibly, countless others from the pages of history, recorded or not.Thiruvananthapuram, or Trivandrum, as it was conveniently re-christened by the English, is the southern-most district and Thiruvananthapuram city is the district headquarters as well as the State capital of Kerala. Thiru Anantha Puram, or the city of the Holy Anantha, is named after Ananthan, the cosmic serpent with a thousand heads, on whose coils Lord Mahavishnu reclines. This iconic representation is the
chief deity in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The temple was built by King Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal family when, in 1745, he shifted the Travancore capital from Padmanabhapuram in the south (today in the neighbouring State of Tamil Nadu) to Thiruvananthapuramand started reigning as 'Padmanabha Dasa', the servant and representative of Lord Padmanabha--perhaps a nobler variant of the 'Divine Right Theory' that the West is familiar with . The vast temple complex, with its tall 'Gopuram' decorated with detailed carvings reflected in the huge temple tank, is today a centre of attraction for the pious, the tourist and the merely curious.Thiruvananthapuram, built on seven hills, has today grown
into a sprawling metropolis; but thankfully the city still retains her past glory and charm, and in spite of the frenetic pace of modern life, perhaps it is the most sedate of the big cities of the State. The people too have retained their friendliness and hospitality, and communicating in English, Hindi or Tamil is as easy as it is in the native Malayalam, whether one is talking to a retired professor or to the man in the street. But be prepared for a 'dose' of highly individualistic observations though-- a hallmark of the Malayali that has enabled him to adapt and to survive the Tsunamis of alien cultures and ideas, and all things 'modern'. The old quarter of the city clusters in and around the East Fort, a protected landmark that dates back to the Royal days. The rightly famous Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple , the Navarathri Mandapam, where the annual musical fest is held as an offering to Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning , Kuthira Malika, a uniquely wonderful example of traditional architecture and the venue of the annual Swathi Thirunal music festival honouring the composer-king of Travancore are the best among the traditional structures that adorn the Fort enclave. The Mahatma Gandhi Road, the chief artery of the city, is lined by traditional mansions that proclaim the grandeur of the times past and modern high-rises that testify to the city's newfound affluence and a brashly commercial taste --red tile and timber vying with concrete and glass. What perhaps is special about the ambience of Thiruvananthapuram is the wonderful blend of the strongly traditional, the nostalgically Colonial and the outright modern elements, be it in architecture, in food or in the dress and manners of her people. The city's spirit of 'live and let live' is nowhere more evident than at Palayam (the Garrison, the seat of the old Cantonment), where threecentres of worships of three faiths rub shoulders--the ancient Ganapathy Temple (ostensibly built by the Maharajah for the prosperity of the Connemara Market nearby), the Palayam Muslim Mosque (get the correct name) and the Palayam Christian Cathedral (get the correct name) church with its distinctive Gothic tower.Blessed with a pleasant climate virtually throughout the year, Thiruvananthapuram city sparkles after the monsoon rains.
After the 'hot' summers, which thankfully pale in comparison to the 'hotspots' of India, the welcome summer showers augur the festival season when Kerala decks herself out, and traditional colours and rhythms and characters straight from the pages of her ancient lore entice the visitor to another world. The festivities are crowned by Onam , the Spring harvest festival, today marked by traditional fare throughout the State, including the spirited race of the picturesque and majestic snake boats , the grand elephant parade, when hordes of caparisoned pachyderms lend an air of fantasy to the setting, and the special presentations of Kathakali , Mohiniyattom , Koodiyattom and other traditional arts of Kerala. etc etcLocation and Boundaries | ||
Thiruvananthapuram district is situated between north latitudes 8º 17' and 8º 54' and east longitudes 76º 41' and 77º 17'. The southern most extremity, 'Parasala', is 56 kms away from Kanyakumari, the "land's end of India". The district stretches along the shores of the Arabian sea for a distance of 78 kms. District boundaries are: | ||
| East | : | Thirunalveli District, Tamilnadu. |
| South | : | Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu |
| West | : | The Arabian Sea. |
| North | : | Kollam District. |
| District Area | : | 2192 km². |
| Taluks | : | 4. |
| Villages | : | 116. |
| Main Towns | : | Thiruvananthapuram City, Neyyattinkara, Nedumangad, Attingal, Varkala. |
| Population | : | 3234356(as per 2001 census). |
Origin of name
The city gets its name from the word, Thiru-anantha-puram, meaning the "Abode of Lord Ananta".[12] The name derives from thedeity of the Hindu temple at the centre of the city. Anantha is the serpent Shesha on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu reclines. The temple of Vishnu reclining on Anantha, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple remains the iconic landmark of the city. The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum in English until 1991, when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram in all languages.
[edit]History
Main article: History of Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient city with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE.[14][15] It is believed that the ships of King Solomon landed in a port called Ophir (now Poovar) in Thiruvananthapuram in 1036 BCE.[16] The city was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory.[17] However, the ancient political and cultural history of the city was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The early rulers of the city were the Ays. With their fall in the 10th century, the city was taken over by the rulers of Venad.[18]
The rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram began with accession of Marthanda Varma in 1729 as the founding ruler of the princely state of Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor in the local vernacular). Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of Travancore in 1745 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari district.[19] The city developed into a major intellectual and artistic centre during this period. The golden age in the city's history was during the mid 19th century under the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal andMaharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. This era saw the establishment of the first English school (1834), the Observatory (1837), the General Hospital (1839), the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College (1873). The first mental hospital in the state was also started during the same period. Sanskrit College, Ayurveda College, Law College and a second grade college for women were started by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924).[18]
The early 20th century was an age of tremendous political and social changes in the city. The Sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904 was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state.[20] Despite not being under direct control of theBritish Empire at any time, the city however featured prominently in India's freedom struggle. The Indian National Congress had a very active presence in the city. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was held here in 1938.
The Thiruvananthapuram Municipality came into existence in 1920. The municipality was converted into Corporation on 30th October 1940, during the period of Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, who took over in 1931.[21] The city witnessed many-sided progress during his period. The promulgation of "Temple Entry Proclamation" (1936) was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of the University of Travancore in 1937, which later became the Kerala University.[22]
With the end of the British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popular ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi.[23] The king of Travancore, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from July 1, 1949 until October 31, 1956. When the state of Keralawas formed on November 1, 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of the new state.[24]
With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1962, Thiruvananthapuram became the cradle of India's ambitious space programme. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC) located in the outskirts of the city in 1963. Several establishments of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram.[25]
A major milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of Technopark—India's first IT park—in 1995.[26] Technopark has developed into the largest IT Park in India[27] and third largest in Asia, employing around 30,000 people over 195 companies.[28] This placed Thiruvananthapuram on the IT map of India and it is today one of the most promising in the country in terms of competitiveness and capability.[29]
[edit]Geography and climate
Main article: Geography of Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills[30] by the sea shore and is located at 8.5°N 76.9°E on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India.[31] The city situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. The city spans an area of 141.74 km2 (54.73 sq mi)[32] and the greater metropolitan area spans an area of 250 km2 (96.53 sq mi). The average elevation of the city is 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea level.[33] The Geological Survey of India has identified Thiruvananthapuram as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorized the city in the Seismic III Zone.[34]
Thiruvananthapuram lies on the shores of Karamana and Killi river s. Vellayani, Thiruvallam and Veli backwaters lies in the city.[35]
The area can be divided into two geographical regions, the midlands and the lowlands. The midland region comprises low hills and valleys adjoining the Western Ghats. The lowland is a narrow stretch comprising shorelines, rivers and deltas, dotted with coconut palms.Vellayani Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the district, is in the suburbs of the city.
There are highlands, which form the eastern suburbs of the city. The highest point in the district is the Agasthyarkoodam which rises 1869 mabove sea level. Ponmudi is a hill-resorts around 60kms from the city.[36]
[edit]Climate
The city has a climate that borders between a tropical savanna climate and a tropical monsoon climate. As a result it does not experience distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature 34 °C and the mean minimum temperature is 21 °C. The humidity is high and rises to about 90% during the monsoon season.[37] Thiruvananthapuram is the first city along the path of the south-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. The city gets heavy rainfall of around 1700 mm per year. The city also gets rain from the receding north-east monsoons which hit the city by October. The dry season sets in by December. December, January and February are the coldest months while March, April and May are the hottest. The lowest temperature recorded during winter was 15 °C, and the highest temperature recorded in summer is 37 °C.[38]
| [hide]Climate data for Thiruvananthapuram | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37 (99) | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 39 (102) | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 33 (91) | 38 (100) | 37 (99) | 36 (97) | 39 (102) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.9 (89.4) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.6 (90.7) | 31.6 (88.9) | 29.7 (85.5) | 29.2 (84.6) | 29.4 (84.9) | 30.0 (86) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.8 (87.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22.2 (72) | 22.8 (73) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.7 (76.5) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.2 (73.8) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.1 (73.6) | 22.6 (72.7) | 23.4 (74.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 15 (59) | 17 (63) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 21 (70) | 18 (64) | 20 (68) | 18 (64) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 15 (59) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 22.7 (0.894) | 24.4 (0.961) | 40.4 (1.591) | 117.4 (4.622) | 230.4 (9.071) | 320.8 (12.63) | 226.8 (8.929) | 138.1 (5.437) | 174.6 (6.874) | 281.7 (11.091) | 184.5 (7.264) | 65.9 (2.594) | 1,827.7 (71.957) |
| Source #1: [39] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: [40] | |||||||||||||
[edit]Economy
Main article: Economy of Thiruvananthapuram
The economy of Thiruvananthapuram city was earlier based on the tertiary sector with about 60% of the workforce being employed as government servants. Large scale industrial establishments are low compared to other south Indian state capitals like Bangalore and Chennai. At present the economy is growing with the contributions from more professionals in the fields of IT, and Medical/Bio-Technology. The city contributes 80% of software exports from the state.[41] The opening of many private Television channels in the state made Thiruvananthapuram the home of several studios and related industries. India's first animation park Kinfra Film and Video Park is situated here.[42][43]
Since the establishment of Technopark in 1995, Thiruvananthapuram has steadily grown into a competitive IT centre. The city was rated as the best 2nd tier metro with IT/ITES infrastructure, and second in terms of availability of human talent.[29][44] Technopark houses global majors like IBS Software Services, NeST Software, Infosys, TCS, McKinsey & Co., Ernst & Young Global Shared Services Center, Allianz Cornhill, Tata Elxsi, UST Global, SunTec Business Solutions etc.[45] The park has around 195 companies employing over 30,000 professionals.[28] This is the first CMMILevel 4 assessed Technology Park which spreads over 330 acres, and about 4,000,000 sq ft (370,000 m2). of built-up space[46] As Phase IV expansion, Technopark is developing 450 acres of land in Pallippuram, 5 km north from the main campus as Technocity.[47]
Tourism has also contributed heavily to the economy of Thiruvananthapuram. Foreign tourists generally use Thiruvananthapuram as a hub to explore the highly promoted tourism industry of the state of Kerala.[48][49] Thiruvananthapuram is ranked first in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kerala.[50] It is also a major destination for chartered flights to India for medical tourism, as there are more than fifty recognised Ayurveda centres in and around the city. This is primarily due to Ayurveda's popularity in the West. Medical tourism is further promoted by the recuperation facilities available at thebeach resorts and hill stations nearby. There are around 20 government owned and 60 privately owned medium and large scale industrial units in Thiruvanathapuram. The major employers are the KSIDC, Milma, Keltron, Travancore Titanium and Hindustan Latex, all government owned. There are also about 30,000 small scale industrial units employing around 115,000 people. Traditional industries include handloom and coir.[51]
Commercial activity is quite low mainly due to the under-development of ports. However, this is expected to change with the construction of the Deep Water Container Transshipment Port at Vizhinjam.[52] Situated close to the city, Vizhinjam is very close to international shipping routes and the East-West shipping axis and hardly require maintenance dredging.[53] Other major organizations of economic interest are the BrahMos Aerospace, Chithranjali Film Complex, Kinfra Apparel Park, Kinfra Film and Video Park, Kerala Hitech Industries (KELTECH),Kerala Automobiles Limited and the English Indian Clays Ltd.
See also: Thiruvananthapuram Tourist spots
[edit]Administration and Law
The city is administered by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation which headed by the Mayor and is responsible for the overall, supervision and control of the administrative functions of the Municipal Corporation.[54] The city council is democratically elected and comprises 84 members representing the different city wards. Several agencies work under or in partnership with the Corporation including the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) and Trivandrum Road Development Corporation.
|
The city comes under the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency. The city contributes to four legislative assembly seats namely Kazhakuttam, Thiruvananthapuram, Nemom and Kovalam.[58]The city police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an officer of Deputy Inspector General rank in the Indian Police Service. The city is divided into three police sub-divisions headed by Assistant Commissioners. There are also two traffic sub-divisions. A women's cell and a narcotics control cell also operate in the city. The other units of Thiruvananthapuram city police include Crime Detachment, City Special Branch, Dog Squad, Mounted Police, District Crime Records Bureau, Foreigners Registration Office (FRO), Tourist Police and District Armed Reserve.[59] There are two state Armed Police Battalions and a unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) based in Thiruvananthapuram. The CRPF has a Group Head Quarters (GHQ) located at Pallipuram. There is also a large army cantonment in Pangode where some regiments of the Indian Army are based.
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala and hence the state legislative assembly and Secretariat are located here. The city is also the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram district. The foreign missions in the city are the Consulate of Maldives[60] and Honarary Consulate of Russia.
[edit]Zonal Operations
For managing the decentralized function of the Municipal Corporation, Six Zonal Offices were created. The zonal offices are in Fort, Kadakampally, Nemom, Ulloor, Attipra, Thiruvallamand are mainly responsible for tax assessment and collection, licensing of trades, issue of building permits, sanitation etc.[61]
[edit]Infrastructure
The city is fully electrified by Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The district is divided into three circles: Transmission circle, Thiruvananthapuram city and Kattakkada. Domestic consumers account for 43% of the total power consumption, or 90 million units per month. Thiruvananthapuram district has one 220 kV, nine 110 kV and six 66 kV electrical substations. A 400 kV substation has just been commissioned by the Power Grid Corporation and will ensure high-quality power supply to the city.[62]
The water supply schemes cover 100% within the city limits. It is 84% of the urban and 69% of the rural population, when the district is considered. Peppara and Aruvikkara dams are the main sources of water for distribution in the capital city. The new project plan for improving the water supply with Japanese aid covers Thiruvananthapuram city and six suburban panchayats having urban characteristics.[62]
The sewerage system in the city was implemented at the time of the Travancore Kingdom, and modernised in 1938. This scheme for the disposal of sullage and sewage is an underground system. The whole system is controlled by Kerala Water Authority now. The city area is divided into seven blocks for the execution of the sewerage system, two commissioned in the 1990s and two after 2000. The sewerage is pumped to a stilling chamber at the Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) located at Valiyathura, and is disposed through sewage farming. The Dairy Development Department maintains this sewage farm, and fodder cultivation is done here. There is no revenue generation from this scheme, and the sewerage system in the city is a service provided to the residents.[63]
[edit]Transport
Main article: Transport in Thiruvananthapuram
[edit]Road
The NH-47, which runs from Salem to Kanyakumari, passes through the city. It connects important southern cities such as Coimbatore and Salem in north direction and Nagercoil in south direction.[64] The Main Central Road (MC Road) which is the arterial State Highway in Kerala starts from NH-47 at Kesavadasapuram in the city.
Within the city, city buses, taxis and autorickshaws provide means of transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favored means of personal transportation. The intra-city public transport is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation). There are also bus service operated by private operators and provides access within city limits and beyond. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad.[65] These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and electronic ticketing mechanisms. The Central and Inter State bus station is located Thampanoor, opposite Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. It connects Thiruvananthapuram with other parts of Kerala as well as other states. The central city bus terminal is located 1 km away at East Fort (Kizhakke kotta), near the Padmanabha Swamy temple.
[edit]Rail
Thiruvananthapuram comes under the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. There are five railway stations within the city limits including the Thiruvananthapuram central station. Thiruvananthapuram Pettah, Kochuveli railway station and Veli Railway station are located towards north direction and Thiruvananthapuram Nemom is located south direction from the central station.[66] The Central railway station is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, 8 km from the airport. It is the is the largest and busiest railway station in the state.[67]Kochuveli railway station is developed to ease congestion on central station and it act as satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central.[68]Some of the long distance trains from the city operates from this station. The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express connects the city to New Delhi, the capital of India. The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities in India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore,Hyderabad etc. Thiruvananthapuram is also the first major South Indian city on the longest train route in India, Kanyakumari to Jammu. [69]
[edit]Air
Thiruvananthapuram is served by Trivandrum International Airport (IATA: TRV, ICAO: VOTV), with direct flights from the Middle East,Singapore, Maldives and Sri Lanka is the gateway to the tourism-rich state of Kerala. It is considered as one of the best airport in the country and one of the major advantage of the airport is the flights can be operated on all weather conditions.[70] The airport is approximately 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) due west from the city center.[71] Apart from regular scheduled flights, many chartered flights from Europe like First Choice Airways from London Gatwick and Monarch, operating with big jets, land here during the peak tourist season (around December) with Kerala fast becoming a prime tourist destination in India. Thiruvananthapuram airport's importance is also due to the fact that it is the southernmost airport in India and also the closest to (and thus cheapest option for) neighboring countries like Sri Lanka and Maldives.
[edit]Sea
The work on infrastructure development for the mega Deep Water Container Trans-shipment Port at Vizhinjam has begun, which is expected to be completed within one year and the work on the terminal is to begin within a year.[72] It is to be built in three phases, and expected to be a key competitor in the ports business (especially for container transshipment), with the international shipping lanes between Europe and the Far East lying very close to the port, and also with major ports like Colombo, Kochi and Tuticorin in close proximity.[73]
The exponential growth of the services and IT-based sectors coupled with its prominence as the state capital and tourist center has caused considerable strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To ease the strain, several construction projects are underway and completed[74] including the construction of flyovers[75]and under passes.[76] In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane dual carriage ways are being built.[77]
[edit]Demographics
The city has a population of 744,739 according to the 2001 census[78] (nearly 1.1 million in Nov 2006). Within the city, the density of population is about 5,284 people per square kilometer. The district has a literacy rate of 89.36%.[79] With the sex ratio of 1,037 females to every 1,000 males, there are more women in Thiruvananthapuram than men. The wider urban agglomeration registered a population of about one million in 2001.[80]
Hindus comprise 65% of the population, Christians are about 18% of the population, and Muslims are about 15% of the populace. The remaining 2% of the population practice other religions. The major language spoken is Malayalam. English, Tamil, and Hindi are also widely understood. There is also a prominent minority of Tamil speakers and a few Tulu and Konkani speakers.
Unemployment is a serious issue in Thiruvananthapuram, as it is in the whole of Kerala. The increase in the unemployment rate was from 8.8% in 1998 to 34.3% in 2003, thus registering a 25.5% absolute and a 289.7% relative increase in five years.[81] Thiruvananthapuram taluk ranks third in Kerala with 36.3% of its population unemployed. The in-migration of the unemployed from other districts also boosts this high unemployment rate.[81] Thiruvananthapuram has a high suicide rate, which went up from 17.2 per lakh in 1995 to 38.5 per lakh in 2002.[82] In 2004, the rate came down slightly to 36.6 per lakh.[83] As per 2001 census, the populace below the poverty line in the city was 11,667. A BPL survey indicated the urban poor population as 120,367. Majority of these populace lives in slums and coastal fishing areas.[84]
This apparent paradox—high human development and low economic development—is visible in the entire state of Kerala, and is often dubbed as the Kerala phenomenon or the Kerala model of development.[85][86]
[edit]Culture
Main article: Culture of Thiruvananthapuram
The citizens of Thiruvananthapuram are sometimes referred to as "Trivandrumites" by some tourism sites and blogging community, though the term is not in common use. The cultural background of Thiruvananthapuram originates from the efforts of the rulers of erstwhile Travancore, who took an active interest in the development of arts and culture. Thiruvananthapuram has produced several great artists, the most famous ones being Maharaja Swathi Thirunal,[88] Irayimman Thampi and Raja Ravi Varma.
Maharaja Swathi Thirunal was a great composer and played a vital role in the development of Carnatic music.[89] There is a music college in his name in the city - Swathi Thirunal College of Music. Raja Ravi Varma was a famous painter of international renown. His contributions toIndian art are substantial. Most of his famous paintings are preserved at the Sree Chithra Art Gallery in the city. The Padmanabha Swamy Temple and the fort surrounding it, the Napier Museum and Zoo, the VJT hall, Palayam Mosque and Church are among the prominent heritage buildings in the city. The Veli lake and Shankumugham beach are home to various sculptures of the noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman. Many people, including Mahatma Gandhi have admired the city's greenery.[90]
Thiruvananthapuram appears as a laid back and quiet city to a casual observer. However there are considerable cultural activities in the city. The cultural activities are more during the festival season of Onam in August/September, and during the tourist season later in the year. The state government organises the tourism week celebrations every year during the Onam with cultural events conducted at various centres in the city. The other major events include the annual flower show, the Attukal Pongala, the Aaraat of Padmanabha Swamy Temple, the Beemapally Uroos, Vettucaud Perunaal etc.[91] The CVN Kalari at East Fort is a well known centre for training in Kerala's indigenous martial art—the Kalaripayattu. The Margi centre offers training in many of Kerala's traditional arts including Kathakali.
The general cuisine of the people is Keralite cuisine, which is characterised by an abundance of coconut and spices. Other South Indiancuisines, as well as Chinese and North Indian cuisines are popular. Fast food culture is also very prominent in the city.
Thiruvananthapuram has numerous libraries, the prominent ones being the State Central Library (Trivandrum Public library, Est. 1829),[92] the University Library, Thiruvananthapuram Children's Library, Manuscripts Library and the Centre for Development Studies Library. The British Library (Est. 1964)[93] was located very near to the Government Secretariat adjacent to the YMCA Hostel.
[edit]Education
Thiruvananthapuram is a major academic hub. The University of Kerala is located here. There are many professional education colleges including fifteen engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda colleges, two Homeopathy colleges, six other medical related colleges, and two law colleges in the city and its suburbs.[94] Trivandrum Medical College, the premier health institute of the state is also one of the finest in the country. It is being upgraded to the status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Government Engineering College, and Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering are the main engineering colleges in the city. The Asian School of Business and IIITM-K are two of the management study institutions in the city, both situated inside Technopark. TheIndian Institute of Space Science and Technology, the unique and first of its kind in India, is situated in the city. Centre for Development Studies, one of the foremost development economics research centers in the country, and Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) which does research, development and training in imaging technology are located within city limits.
The schools in the city are classified as Aided, Unaided and Government schools.[95] The government schools are run directly by the state government and follow the syllabus prescribed by the state government. The aided schools also follow the state syllabus. In addition to this, there are four Kendriya Vidyalayas run directly by the Central government, which follow the CBSE syllabus, and private schools run by educational trusts or boards which follow CBSEand/or ICSE syllabus and/or NIOS syllabus and/or state syllabus. The first International school in Kerala, The Trivandrum International School, was started in the outskirts of the city in August 2003.[96] The literacy rate in Thiruvananthapuram, according to the 2001 census, is 89.36 percent; 92.68 percent among males and 86.26 percent among females.[79]
[edit]Science and Technology
Thiruvananthapuram is a Research and Development hub in the fields of space science, information technology, bio-technology, medicine and so on. It is home to a cluster of research centres, which include the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute, ER&DC – CDAC, CSIR – National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Free Software Foundation of India (FSFI), Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Priyadarsini Planetarium,The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library, Kerala Highway Research Institute, Kerala Fisheries Research Institute, etc. A scientific institution named National centre for molecular materials, for the research and development of biomedical devices and space electronics is to be established in Thiruvananthapuram.[97] College of Architecture Trivandrum(CAT), which specialise only on the architecture course, is another institution proposed to set up in the suburbs of the city.[98]
See also: Colleges in Thiruvananthapuram and Schools in Thiruvananthapuram
[edit]Media
Main article: Media in Thiruvananthapuram
Daily newspapers are available in English and Malayalam. The English newspapers with editions from Thiruvananthapuram are The New Indian Express and The Hindu. The major Malayalam newspapers are Mathrubhumi, Malayala Manorama, Kerala Kaumudi, Deshabhimani,Janmabhumi, Keralakaumudi Flash and Madhyamam.
Most of the Malayalam TV channels are based in Thiruvananthapuram. The government owned Doordarshan began broadcasting from here in 1981. Asianet, the first private Malayalam channel, began its telecasts in 1991. The other channels now based in Thiruvananthapuram areAmrita TV, Kairali TV, Kairali We (Youth channel of Kairali), JaiHind TV, Asianet Plus (Youth channel of Asianet) and People (News and current affairs channel of Kairali TV). The local cable services are provided by Asianet Satellite Communications Limited, Connecttel Communications Pvt Ltd, Trivandrum Cable Network Pvt Ltd and Siti Cable and they provide a bouquet of local channels in addition to all theIndian channels. DTH services are available through Doordarshan Direct Plus, Tata Sky, SUN Direct, Big TV, Airtel digital TV, Videocon d2hand Dish TV.
All India Radio has an AM (1161 MHz) and an FM (Ananthapuri FM; 101.9 MHz) station for the city. FM radio channels broadcast from Thiruvananthapuram are Ananthapuri FM (AIR) 101.9 MHz, Gyanvani from IGNOU 105.6 MHz, Big FM 92.7 MHz, Club FM 94.3 MHz , Radio Mirchi 98.3 MHz, Red FM 93.5 MHz andRadio DC(Low power CRS) 90.4 MHz.
Thiruvananthapuram city holds the maximum number of theaters in Kerala.[99] There are over 18 cinema halls which screen films in Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi. There are also two film studios in the city—Chithranjali and Merryland. The Kinfra Film and Video Park, located near the Technopark, is one of the most advanced film and animation production centres in India. Leading firms like Prasad Labs have set up their facilities here. The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is held in November/December every year and is acknowledged as one of the leading events of its kind in India.
The wireline telephone services are provided by BSNL, Reliance and Tata Indicom. The main GSM networks operating in the city are BSNL CellOne, Airtel, Aircel, Tata Docomo, Uninor,Idea Cellular, Vodafone, Reliance, Videocon and Virgin Mobile. The main CDMA providers are Reliance, MTS and Tata Indicom. The number of mobile phone connections has increased exponentially since the late 90s. Major broadband internet services are provided by BSNL Broadband, Asianet Dataline and Siti Cable. Private providers like Reliance, Tata Communications (VSNL), Airtel and Satyam also have their presence in the city. The major dial-up internet providers are BSNL NetOne, Kerala Online and KelNet among others. Thiruvananthapuram also holds the distinction of having been the first 100% Digital SSA (Secondary Switching Area) in India.
[edit]Sports
The most popular games are Football and Cricket.[100] Basketball, Badminton and Volleyball are also popular, mostly in schools. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. The HQ complex of KCA, has advance facilities including two practice turfs with nets, bowling machines, gymnasium with multi-gym and equipment for aerobic training, lecture hall and library, an astro-turf indoor coaching facility, fully furnished accommodation for coaches and players, a physiotherapy clinic, functional office facilities and guest rooms.
The Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, in the heart of the city, is a prominent football stadium and has hosted both national and international level matches. The University Stadium has hosted two international cricket matches.[101] This stadium is under the University of Kerala and is equipped with synthetic tracks for athletics games.[101] The Central Stadium, which has facilities for athletics, football, basketball, volleyball and cricket practice nets, is situated on the eastern side of the Government Secretariat. The Jimmy George Indoor Stadium, the GV Raja Sports School and Lakshmi Bhai National College for Physical Education (LNCPE) are the other major sports establishments in the city.
The city has a golf course known as Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club. It is one of the oldest golf course in India, more than 150 years old.[102]The city also has a Tennis Club (Trivandrum Tennis Club/TTC) both located at Kowdiar. The city fields two football clubs--SBT-Thiruvananthapuram and Titanium—in the second division of the National Football League. The city also has a fully equipped modern swimming pool located near the Jimmy George Sports Complex at Vellayambalam. Many state level and national level swimming competitions are held in this complex. It also holds coaching camps for those who are interested in learning swimming.
[edit]Strategic Importance
Apart from being the capital of India’s most literate[103] and socially developed state,[104][105] Thiruvananthapuram is a strategically important city in Southern India. Being the largest city in India’s deep south, it is important for both military logistics and civil aviation in the southern part of the country. It is the headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force.[106] The city is very close to the international shipping route and East-West shipping axis.[53] Also, it falls under the international air route.[107] Due to the strategic importance of the city, the Indian Air Force authorities have planned to establish an aerospace command in SAC.[108] The plan for setting up a new "Tri-Service Command", which will integrate all the three forces under a single command, is also in the pipeline.[109]
Being the Indian city with the closest air link to the small island-country of Maldives and also Sri Lanka,[110] the city’s medical and health infrastructure caters to the needs of the patients from both countries, especially Maldives.[111] Exports of perishables and medicines from Trivandrum International Airport run to full capacity on the daily flights to Maldives and Sri Lanka. Thiruvananthapuram also provides a key link in the movement of goods and passengers to and from southern parts of Tamilnadu into Kerala, the state border being just 30 km away from the city centre. The city is also important for people around the world seeking help through Ayurveda medicine and therapy. Ayurveda resorts are coming up at a rapid pace along the International Beach of Kovalam and Varkala coast.
Origin of name
The city gets its name from the word, Thiru-anantha-puram, meaning the "Abode of Lord Ananta".[12] The name derives from thedeity of the Hindu temple at the centre of the city. Anantha is the serpent Shesha on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu reclines. The temple of Vishnu reclining on Anantha, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple remains the iconic landmark of the city. The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum in English until 1991, when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram in all languages.
[edit]History
Main article: History of Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient city with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE.[14][15] It is believed that the ships of King Solomon landed in a port called Ophir (now Poovar) in Thiruvananthapuram in 1036 BCE.[16] The city was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory.[17] However, the ancient political and cultural history of the city was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The early rulers of the city were the Ays. With their fall in the 10th century, the city was taken over by the rulers of Venad.[18]
The rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram began with accession of Marthanda Varma in 1729 as the founding ruler of the princely state of Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor in the local vernacular). Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of Travancore in 1745 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari district.[19] The city developed into a major intellectual and artistic centre during this period. The golden age in the city's history was during the mid 19th century under the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal andMaharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. This era saw the establishment of the first English school (1834), the Observatory (1837), the General Hospital (1839), the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College (1873). The first mental hospital in the state was also started during the same period. Sanskrit College, Ayurveda College, Law College and a second grade college for women were started by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924).[18]
The early 20th century was an age of tremendous political and social changes in the city. The Sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904 was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state.[20] Despite not being under direct control of theBritish Empire at any time, the city however featured prominently in India's freedom struggle. The Indian National Congress had a very active presence in the city. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was held here in 1938.
The Thiruvananthapuram Municipality came into existence in 1920. The municipality was converted into Corporation on 30th October 1940, during the period of Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, who took over in 1931.[21] The city witnessed many-sided progress during his period. The promulgation of "Temple Entry Proclamation" (1936) was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of the University of Travancore in 1937, which later became the Kerala University.[22]
With the end of the British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popular ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi.[23] The king of Travancore, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from July 1, 1949 until October 31, 1956. When the state of Keralawas formed on November 1, 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of the new state.[24]
With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1962, Thiruvananthapuram became the cradle of India's ambitious space programme. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC) located in the outskirts of the city in 1963. Several establishments of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram.[25]
A major milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of Technopark—India's first IT park—in 1995.[26] Technopark has developed into the largest IT Park in India[27] and third largest in Asia, employing around 30,000 people over 195 companies.[28] This placed Thiruvananthapuram on the IT map of India and it is today one of the most promising in the country in terms of competitiveness and capability.[29]
[edit]Geography and climate
Main article: Geography of Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills[30] by the sea shore and is located at 8.5°N 76.9°E on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India.[31] The city situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. The city spans an area of 141.74 km2 (54.73 sq mi)[32] and the greater metropolitan area spans an area of 250 km2 (96.53 sq mi). The average elevation of the city is 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea level.[33] The Geological Survey of India has identified Thiruvananthapuram as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorized the city in the Seismic III Zone.[34]
Thiruvananthapuram lies on the shores of Karamana and Killi river s. Vellayani, Thiruvallam and Veli backwaters lies in the city.[35]
The area can be divided into two geographical regions, the midlands and the lowlands. The midland region comprises low hills and valleys adjoining the Western Ghats. The lowland is a narrow stretch comprising shorelines, rivers and deltas, dotted with coconut palms.Vellayani Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the district, is in the suburbs of the city.
There are highlands, which form the eastern suburbs of the city. The highest point in the district is the Agasthyarkoodam which rises 1869 mabove sea level. Ponmudi is a hill-resorts around 60kms from the city.[36]
[edit]Climate
The city has a climate that borders between a tropical savanna climate and a tropical monsoon climate. As a result it does not experience distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature 34 °C and the mean minimum temperature is 21 °C. The humidity is high and rises to about 90% during the monsoon season.[37] Thiruvananthapuram is the first city along the path of the south-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. The city gets heavy rainfall of around 1700 mm per year. The city also gets rain from the receding north-east monsoons which hit the city by October. The dry season sets in by December. December, January and February are the coldest months while March, April and May are the hottest. The lowest temperature recorded during winter was 15 °C, and the highest temperature recorded in summer is 37 °C.[38]
| [hide]Climate data for Thiruvananthapuram | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37 (99) | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 39 (102) | 38 (100) | 38 (100) | 33 (91) | 38 (100) | 37 (99) | 36 (97) | 39 (102) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.9 (89.4) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.6 (90.7) | 31.6 (88.9) | 29.7 (85.5) | 29.2 (84.6) | 29.4 (84.9) | 30.0 (86) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.8 (87.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22.2 (72) | 22.8 (73) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.7 (76.5) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.2 (73.8) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.1 (73.6) | 22.6 (72.7) | 23.4 (74.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 15 (59) | 17 (63) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 21 (70) | 18 (64) | 20 (68) | 18 (64) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 15 (59) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 22.7 (0.894) | 24.4 (0.961) | 40.4 (1.591) | 117.4 (4.622) | 230.4 (9.071) | 320.8 (12.63) | 226.8 (8.929) | 138.1 (5.437) | 174.6 (6.874) | 281.7 (11.091) | 184.5 (7.264) | 65.9 (2.594) | 1,827.7 (71.957) |
| Source #1: [39] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: [40] | |||||||||||||
[edit]Economy
Main article: Economy of Thiruvananthapuram
The economy of Thiruvananthapuram city was earlier based on the tertiary sector with about 60% of the workforce being employed as government servants. Large scale industrial establishments are low compared to other south Indian state capitals like Bangalore and Chennai. At present the economy is growing with the contributions from more professionals in the fields of IT, and Medical/Bio-Technology. The city contributes 80% of software exports from the state.[41] The opening of many private Television channels in the state made Thiruvananthapuram the home of several studios and related industries. India's first animation park Kinfra Film and Video Park is situated here.[42][43]
Since the establishment of Technopark in 1995, Thiruvananthapuram has steadily grown into a competitive IT centre. The city was rated as the best 2nd tier metro with IT/ITES infrastructure, and second in terms of availability of human talent.[29][44] Technopark houses global majors like IBS Software Services, NeST Software, Infosys, TCS, McKinsey & Co., Ernst & Young Global Shared Services Center, Allianz Cornhill, Tata Elxsi, UST Global, SunTec Business Solutions etc.[45] The park has around 195 companies employing over 30,000 professionals.[28] This is the first CMMILevel 4 assessed Technology Park which spreads over 330 acres, and about 4,000,000 sq ft (370,000 m2). of built-up space[46] As Phase IV expansion, Technopark is developing 450 acres of land in Pallippuram, 5 km north from the main campus as Technocity.[47]
Tourism has also contributed heavily to the economy of Thiruvananthapuram. Foreign tourists generally use Thiruvananthapuram as a hub to explore the highly promoted tourism industry of the state of Kerala.[48][49] Thiruvananthapuram is ranked first in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kerala.[50] It is also a major destination for chartered flights to India for medical tourism, as there are more than fifty recognised Ayurveda centres in and around the city. This is primarily due to Ayurveda's popularity in the West. Medical tourism is further promoted by the recuperation facilities available at thebeach resorts and hill stations nearby. There are around 20 government owned and 60 privately owned medium and large scale industrial units in Thiruvanathapuram. The major employers are the KSIDC, Milma, Keltron, Travancore Titanium and Hindustan Latex, all government owned. There are also about 30,000 small scale industrial units employing around 115,000 people. Traditional industries include handloom and coir.[51]
Commercial activity is quite low mainly due to the under-development of ports. However, this is expected to change with the construction of the Deep Water Container Transshipment Port at Vizhinjam.[52] Situated close to the city, Vizhinjam is very close to international shipping routes and the East-West shipping axis and hardly require maintenance dredging.[53] Other major organizations of economic interest are the BrahMos Aerospace, Chithranjali Film Complex, Kinfra Apparel Park, Kinfra Film and Video Park, Kerala Hitech Industries (KELTECH),Kerala Automobiles Limited and the English Indian Clays Ltd.
See also: Thiruvananthapuram Tourist spots
[edit]Administration and Law
The city is administered by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation which headed by the Mayor and is responsible for the overall, supervision and control of the administrative functions of the Municipal Corporation.[54] The city council is democratically elected and comprises 84 members representing the different city wards. Several agencies work under or in partnership with the Corporation including the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) and Trivandrum Road Development Corporation.
|
The city comes under the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency. The city contributes to four legislative assembly seats namely Kazhakuttam, Thiruvananthapuram, Nemom and Kovalam.[58]The city police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an officer of Deputy Inspector General rank in the Indian Police Service. The city is divided into three police sub-divisions headed by Assistant Commissioners. There are also two traffic sub-divisions. A women's cell and a narcotics control cell also operate in the city. The other units of Thiruvananthapuram city police include Crime Detachment, City Special Branch, Dog Squad, Mounted Police, District Crime Records Bureau, Foreigners Registration Office (FRO), Tourist Police and District Armed Reserve.[59] There are two state Armed Police Battalions and a unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) based in Thiruvananthapuram. The CRPF has a Group Head Quarters (GHQ) located at Pallipuram. There is also a large army cantonment in Pangode where some regiments of the Indian Army are based.
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala and hence the state legislative assembly and Secretariat are located here. The city is also the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram district. The foreign missions in the city are the Consulate of Maldives[60] and Honarary Consulate of Russia.
[edit]Zonal Operations
For managing the decentralized function of the Municipal Corporation, Six Zonal Offices were created. The zonal offices are in Fort, Kadakampally, Nemom, Ulloor, Attipra, Thiruvallamand are mainly responsible for tax assessment and collection, licensing of trades, issue of building permits, sanitation etc.[61]
[edit]Infrastructure
The city is fully electrified by Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The district is divided into three circles: Transmission circle, Thiruvananthapuram city and Kattakkada. Domestic consumers account for 43% of the total power consumption, or 90 million units per month. Thiruvananthapuram district has one 220 kV, nine 110 kV and six 66 kV electrical substations. A 400 kV substation has just been commissioned by the Power Grid Corporation and will ensure high-quality power supply to the city.[62]
The water supply schemes cover 100% within the city limits. It is 84% of the urban and 69% of the rural population, when the district is considered. Peppara and Aruvikkara dams are the main sources of water for distribution in the capital city. The new project plan for improving the water supply with Japanese aid covers Thiruvananthapuram city and six suburban panchayats having urban characteristics.[62]
The sewerage system in the city was implemented at the time of the Travancore Kingdom, and modernised in 1938. This scheme for the disposal of sullage and sewage is an underground system. The whole system is controlled by Kerala Water Authority now. The city area is divided into seven blocks for the execution of the sewerage system, two commissioned in the 1990s and two after 2000. The sewerage is pumped to a stilling chamber at the Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) located at Valiyathura, and is disposed through sewage farming. The Dairy Development Department maintains this sewage farm, and fodder cultivation is done here. There is no revenue generation from this scheme, and the sewerage system in the city is a service provided to the residents.[63]
[edit]Transport
Main article: Transport in Thiruvananthapuram
[edit]Road
The NH-47, which runs from Salem to Kanyakumari, passes through the city. It connects important southern cities such as Coimbatore and Salem in north direction and Nagercoil in south direction.[64] The Main Central Road (MC Road) which is the arterial State Highway in Kerala starts from NH-47 at Kesavadasapuram in the city.
Within the city, city buses, taxis and autorickshaws provide means of transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favored means of personal transportation. The intra-city public transport is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation). There are also bus service operated by private operators and provides access within city limits and beyond. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad.[65] These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and electronic ticketing mechanisms. The Central and Inter State bus station is located Thampanoor, opposite Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. It connects Thiruvananthapuram with other parts of Kerala as well as other states. The central city bus terminal is located 1 km away at East Fort (Kizhakke kotta), near the Padmanabha Swamy temple.
[edit]Rail
Thiruvananthapuram comes under the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. There are five railway stations within the city limits including the Thiruvananthapuram central station. Thiruvananthapuram Pettah, Kochuveli railway station and Veli Railway station are located towards north direction and Thiruvananthapuram Nemom is located south direction from the central station.[66] The Central railway station is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, 8 km from the airport. It is the is the largest and busiest railway station in the state.[67]Kochuveli railway station is developed to ease congestion on central station and it act as satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central.[68]Some of the long distance trains from the city operates from this station. The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express connects the city to New Delhi, the capital of India. The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities in India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore,Hyderabad etc. Thiruvananthapuram is also the first major South Indian city on the longest train route in India, Kanyakumari to Jammu. [69]
[edit]Air
Thiruvananthapuram is served by Trivandrum International Airport (IATA: TRV, ICAO: VOTV), with direct flights from the Middle East,Singapore, Maldives and Sri Lanka is the gateway to the tourism-rich state of Kerala. It is considered as one of the best airport in the country and one of the major advantage of the airport is the flights can be operated on all weather conditions.[70] The airport is approximately 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) due west from the city center.[71] Apart from regular scheduled flights, many chartered flights from Europe like First Choice Airways from London Gatwick and Monarch, operating with big jets, land here during the peak tourist season (around December) with Kerala fast becoming a prime tourist destination in India. Thiruvananthapuram airport's importance is also due to the fact that it is the southernmost airport in India and also the closest to (and thus cheapest option for) neighboring countries like Sri Lanka and Maldives.
[edit]Sea
The work on infrastructure development for the mega Deep Water Container Trans-shipment Port at Vizhinjam has begun, which is expected to be completed within one year and the work on the terminal is to begin within a year.[72] It is to be built in three phases, and expected to be a key competitor in the ports business (especially for container transshipment), with the international shipping lanes between Europe and the Far East lying very close to the port, and also with major ports like Colombo, Kochi and Tuticorin in close proximity.[73]
The exponential growth of the services and IT-based sectors coupled with its prominence as the state capital and tourist center has caused considerable strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To ease the strain, several construction projects are underway and completed[74] including the construction of flyovers[75]and under passes.[76] In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane dual carriage ways are being built.[77]
[edit]Demographics
The city has a population of 744,739 according to the 2001 census[78] (nearly 1.1 million in Nov 2006). Within the city, the density of population is about 5,284 people per square kilometer. The district has a literacy rate of 89.36%.[79] With the sex ratio of 1,037 females to every 1,000 males, there are more women in Thiruvananthapuram than men. The wider urban agglomeration registered a population of about one million in 2001.[80]
Hindus comprise 65% of the population, Christians are about 18% of the population, and Muslims are about 15% of the populace. The remaining 2% of the population practice other religions. The major language spoken is Malayalam. English, Tamil, and Hindi are also widely understood. There is also a prominent minority of Tamil speakers and a few Tulu and Konkani speakers.
Unemployment is a serious issue in Thiruvananthapuram, as it is in the whole of Kerala. The increase in the unemployment rate was from 8.8% in 1998 to 34.3% in 2003, thus registering a 25.5% absolute and a 289.7% relative increase in five years.[81] Thiruvananthapuram taluk ranks third in Kerala with 36.3% of its population unemployed. The in-migration of the unemployed from other districts also boosts this high unemployment rate.[81] Thiruvananthapuram has a high suicide rate, which went up from 17.2 per lakh in 1995 to 38.5 per lakh in 2002.[82] In 2004, the rate came down slightly to 36.6 per lakh.[83] As per 2001 census, the populace below the poverty line in the city was 11,667. A BPL survey indicated the urban poor population as 120,367. Majority of these populace lives in slums and coastal fishing areas.[84]
This apparent paradox—high human development and low economic development—is visible in the entire state of Kerala, and is often dubbed as the Kerala phenomenon or the Kerala model of development.[85][86]
[edit]Culture
Main article: Culture of Thiruvananthapuram
The citizens of Thiruvananthapuram are sometimes referred to as "Trivandrumites" by some tourism sites and blogging community, though the term is not in common use. The cultural background of Thiruvananthapuram originates from the efforts of the rulers of erstwhile Travancore, who took an active interest in the development of arts and culture. Thiruvananthapuram has produced several great artists, the most famous ones being Maharaja Swathi Thirunal,[88] Irayimman Thampi and Raja Ravi Varma.
Maharaja Swathi Thirunal was a great composer and played a vital role in the development of Carnatic music.[89] There is a music college in his name in the city - Swathi Thirunal College of Music. Raja Ravi Varma was a famous painter of international renown. His contributions toIndian art are substantial. Most of his famous paintings are preserved at the Sree Chithra Art Gallery in the city. The Padmanabha Swamy Temple and the fort surrounding it, the Napier Museum and Zoo, the VJT hall, Palayam Mosque and Church are among the prominent heritage buildings in the city. The Veli lake and Shankumugham beach are home to various sculptures of the noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman. Many people, including Mahatma Gandhi have admired the city's greenery.[90]
Thiruvananthapuram appears as a laid back and quiet city to a casual observer. However there are considerable cultural activities in the city. The cultural activities are more during the festival season of Onam in August/September, and during the tourist season later in the year. The state government organises the tourism week celebrations every year during the Onam with cultural events conducted at various centres in the city. The other major events include the annual flower show, the Attukal Pongala, the Aaraat of Padmanabha Swamy Temple, the Beemapally Uroos, Vettucaud Perunaal etc.[91] The CVN Kalari at East Fort is a well known centre for training in Kerala's indigenous martial art—the Kalaripayattu. The Margi centre offers training in many of Kerala's traditional arts including Kathakali.
The general cuisine of the people is Keralite cuisine, which is characterised by an abundance of coconut and spices. Other South Indiancuisines, as well as Chinese and North Indian cuisines are popular. Fast food culture is also very prominent in the city.
Thiruvananthapuram has numerous libraries, the prominent ones being the State Central Library (Trivandrum Public library, Est. 1829),[92] the University Library, Thiruvananthapuram Children's Library, Manuscripts Library and the Centre for Development Studies Library. The British Library (Est. 1964)[93] was located very near to the Government Secretariat adjacent to the YMCA Hostel.
[edit]Education
Thiruvananthapuram is a major academic hub. The University of Kerala is located here. There are many professional education colleges including fifteen engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda colleges, two Homeopathy colleges, six other medical related colleges, and two law colleges in the city and its suburbs.[94] Trivandrum Medical College, the premier health institute of the state is also one of the finest in the country. It is being upgraded to the status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Government Engineering College, and Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering are the main engineering colleges in the city. The Asian School of Business and IIITM-K are two of the management study institutions in the city, both situated inside Technopark. TheIndian Institute of Space Science and Technology, the unique and first of its kind in India, is situated in the city. Centre for Development Studies, one of the foremost development economics research centers in the country, and Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) which does research, development and training in imaging technology are located within city limits.
The schools in the city are classified as Aided, Unaided and Government schools.[95] The government schools are run directly by the state government and follow the syllabus prescribed by the state government. The aided schools also follow the state syllabus. In addition to this, there are four Kendriya Vidyalayas run directly by the Central government, which follow the CBSE syllabus, and private schools run by educational trusts or boards which follow CBSEand/or ICSE syllabus and/or NIOS syllabus and/or state syllabus. The first International school in Kerala, The Trivandrum International School, was started in the outskirts of the city in August 2003.[96] The literacy rate in Thiruvananthapuram, according to the 2001 census, is 89.36 percent; 92.68 percent among males and 86.26 percent among females.[79]
[edit]Science and Technology
Thiruvananthapuram is a Research and Development hub in the fields of space science, information technology, bio-technology, medicine and so on. It is home to a cluster of research centres, which include the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute, ER&DC – CDAC, CSIR – National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Free Software Foundation of India (FSFI), Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Priyadarsini Planetarium,The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library, Kerala Highway Research Institute, Kerala Fisheries Research Institute, etc. A scientific institution named National centre for molecular materials, for the research and development of biomedical devices and space electronics is to be established in Thiruvananthapuram.[97] College of Architecture Trivandrum(CAT), which specialise only on the architecture course, is another institution proposed to set up in the suburbs of the city.[98]
See also: Colleges in Thiruvananthapuram and Schools in Thiruvananthapuram
[edit]Media
Main article: Media in Thiruvananthapuram
Daily newspapers are available in English and Malayalam. The English newspapers with editions from Thiruvananthapuram are The New Indian Express and The Hindu. The major Malayalam newspapers are Mathrubhumi, Malayala Manorama, Kerala Kaumudi, Deshabhimani,Janmabhumi, Keralakaumudi Flash and Madhyamam.
Most of the Malayalam TV channels are based in Thiruvananthapuram. The government owned Doordarshan began broadcasting from here in 1981. Asianet, the first private Malayalam channel, began its telecasts in 1991. The other channels now based in Thiruvananthapuram areAmrita TV, Kairali TV, Kairali We (Youth channel of Kairali), JaiHind TV, Asianet Plus (Youth channel of Asianet) and People (News and current affairs channel of Kairali TV). The local cable services are provided by Asianet Satellite Communications Limited, Connecttel Communications Pvt Ltd, Trivandrum Cable Network Pvt Ltd and Siti Cable and they provide a bouquet of local channels in addition to all theIndian channels. DTH services are available through Doordarshan Direct Plus, Tata Sky, SUN Direct, Big TV, Airtel digital TV, Videocon d2hand Dish TV.
All India Radio has an AM (1161 MHz) and an FM (Ananthapuri FM; 101.9 MHz) station for the city. FM radio channels broadcast from Thiruvananthapuram are Ananthapuri FM (AIR) 101.9 MHz, Gyanvani from IGNOU 105.6 MHz, Big FM 92.7 MHz, Club FM 94.3 MHz , Radio Mirchi 98.3 MHz, Red FM 93.5 MHz andRadio DC(Low power CRS) 90.4 MHz.
Thiruvananthapuram city holds the maximum number of theaters in Kerala.[99] There are over 18 cinema halls which screen films in Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi. There are also two film studios in the city—Chithranjali and Merryland. The Kinfra Film and Video Park, located near the Technopark, is one of the most advanced film and animation production centres in India. Leading firms like Prasad Labs have set up their facilities here. The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is held in November/December every year and is acknowledged as one of the leading events of its kind in India.
The wireline telephone services are provided by BSNL, Reliance and Tata Indicom. The main GSM networks operating in the city are BSNL CellOne, Airtel, Aircel, Tata Docomo, Uninor,Idea Cellular, Vodafone, Reliance, Videocon and Virgin Mobile. The main CDMA providers are Reliance, MTS and Tata Indicom. The number of mobile phone connections has increased exponentially since the late 90s. Major broadband internet services are provided by BSNL Broadband, Asianet Dataline and Siti Cable. Private providers like Reliance, Tata Communications (VSNL), Airtel and Satyam also have their presence in the city. The major dial-up internet providers are BSNL NetOne, Kerala Online and KelNet among others. Thiruvananthapuram also holds the distinction of having been the first 100% Digital SSA (Secondary Switching Area) in India.
[edit]Sports
The most popular games are Football and Cricket.[100] Basketball, Badminton and Volleyball are also popular, mostly in schools. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. The HQ complex of KCA, has advance facilities including two practice turfs with nets, bowling machines, gymnasium with multi-gym and equipment for aerobic training, lecture hall and library, an astro-turf indoor coaching facility, fully furnished accommodation for coaches and players, a physiotherapy clinic, functional office facilities and guest rooms.
The Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, in the heart of the city, is a prominent football stadium and has hosted both national and international level matches. The University Stadium has hosted two international cricket matches.[101] This stadium is under the University of Kerala and is equipped with synthetic tracks for athletics games.[101] The Central Stadium, which has facilities for athletics, football, basketball, volleyball and cricket practice nets, is situated on the eastern side of the Government Secretariat. The Jimmy George Indoor Stadium, the GV Raja Sports School and Lakshmi Bhai National College for Physical Education (LNCPE) are the other major sports establishments in the city.
The city has a golf course known as Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club. It is one of the oldest golf course in India, more than 150 years old.[102]The city also has a Tennis Club (Trivandrum Tennis Club/TTC) both located at Kowdiar. The city fields two football clubs--SBT-Thiruvananthapuram and Titanium—in the second division of the National Football League. The city also has a fully equipped modern swimming pool located near the Jimmy George Sports Complex at Vellayambalam. Many state level and national level swimming competitions are held in this complex. It also holds coaching camps for those who are interested in learning swimming.
[edit]Strategic Importance
Apart from being the capital of India’s most literate[103] and socially developed state,[104][105] Thiruvananthapuram is a strategically important city in Southern India. Being the largest city in India’s deep south, it is important for both military logistics and civil aviation in the southern part of the country. It is the headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force.[106] The city is very close to the international shipping route and East-West shipping axis.[53] Also, it falls under the international air route.[107] Due to the strategic importance of the city, the Indian Air Force authorities have planned to establish an aerospace command in SAC.[108] The plan for setting up a new "Tri-Service Command", which will integrate all the three forces under a single command, is also in the pipeline.[109]
Being the Indian city with the closest air link to the small island-country of Maldives and also Sri Lanka,[110] the city’s medical and health infrastructure caters to the needs of the patients from both countries, especially Maldives.[111] Exports of perishables and medicines from Trivandrum International Airport run to full capacity on the daily flights to Maldives and Sri Lanka. Thiruvananthapuram also provides a key link in the movement of goods and passengers to and from southern parts of Tamilnadu into Kerala, the state border being just 30 km away from the city centre. The city is also important for people around the world seeking help through Ayurveda medicine and therapy. Ayurveda resorts are coming up at a rapid pace along the International Beach of Kovalam and Varkala coast.
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