Thiruvananthapuram is Kerala’s capital city. It is famous for its Royal Family of Travancore that ruled from 1750 to 1956. For a traveller, the city of Thiruvananthapuram offers several beautiful sights of historical, cultural and aesthetic importance.
The famous sites of historical importance are Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, the Napier Museum and the Horse Palace Museum. The name of the city means the “Holy City of Anantha” and recounts the legend of Anantha from Hindu mythology, where Anantha is the thousand headed serpent that on whom Lord Vishnu reclines.
The name comes from the Ananda Padmanabha Swamy Temple located in the old part of the city. This temple has a seven-storeyed tower or gopura that is the only one of its kind in Kerala and bears a resemblance to the temple architecture of Tamil Nadu. It has several unique features like a gold encased flagstaff in its courtyard, an enormous main corridor with 324 columns and two rows of granite pillars, sculptures of mythological animals, murals and the large idol of Lord Vishnu.
Right in the heart of the city is a large campus that contains the Napier Museum, the City Zoo and The Shri Chitra Art Gallery. The Napier Museum otherwise known as the Government Arts and Crafts Museum is named Napier Museum after John Napier, a former governor of Madras. It is a red and black brick structure designed by Robert Fellow Chisholm in the nineteenth century. It has a rare collection of art from the reign of the former kingdom of Travancore in bronze, gold, stone and ivory.
The Horse Palace Museum or the Kuthiramalika Palace Museum is located in an eighteenth century palace, built by Raja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma of the Royal Family of Travancore. Built with wood and typical of the Kerala architecture, this palace has polished floors and a sloping tiled roof. The artefacts displayed are made of crystal and ivory.
The famous sites of historical importance are Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, the Napier Museum and the Horse Palace Museum. The name of the city means the “Holy City of Anantha” and recounts the legend of Anantha from Hindu mythology, where Anantha is the thousand headed serpent that on whom Lord Vishnu reclines.
The name comes from the Ananda Padmanabha Swamy Temple located in the old part of the city. This temple has a seven-storeyed tower or gopura that is the only one of its kind in Kerala and bears a resemblance to the temple architecture of Tamil Nadu. It has several unique features like a gold encased flagstaff in its courtyard, an enormous main corridor with 324 columns and two rows of granite pillars, sculptures of mythological animals, murals and the large idol of Lord Vishnu.
Right in the heart of the city is a large campus that contains the Napier Museum, the City Zoo and The Shri Chitra Art Gallery. The Napier Museum otherwise known as the Government Arts and Crafts Museum is named Napier Museum after John Napier, a former governor of Madras. It is a red and black brick structure designed by Robert Fellow Chisholm in the nineteenth century. It has a rare collection of art from the reign of the former kingdom of Travancore in bronze, gold, stone and ivory.
The Horse Palace Museum or the Kuthiramalika Palace Museum is located in an eighteenth century palace, built by Raja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma of the Royal Family of Travancore. Built with wood and typical of the Kerala architecture, this palace has polished floors and a sloping tiled roof. The artefacts displayed are made of crystal and ivory.
