Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a port city located 10nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi)[14] from a heavily trafficked East-West shipping channel. The city is home to India’s first deep-water trans-shipment port, theVizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram.[15] The city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills.[16]
The present regions that constitute Thiruvananthapuram were ruled by theAys who were related to feudatories of theChera dynasty.[18] In the 12th century, it was conquered by theKingdom of Venad.[18] In the 18th century, the kingMarthanda Varma expanded the territory, founded the princely state ofTravancore and made Thiruvananthapuram its capital.[19]Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerfulZamorin ofCalicut in the battle ofPurakkad in 1755.[20] FollowingIndia's independence in 1947, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital ofTravancore–Cochin state and remained so until the new Indian state ofKerala was formed in 1956.[21]
In 2012, Thiruvananthapuram was named the best Kerala city to live in, by a field survey conducted byThe Times of India.[24] In 2013, the city was ranked the fifteenth best city to live in India, in a survey conducted byIndia Today.[25] Thiruvananthapuram was ranked the best Indian city for two consecutive years, 2015 and 2016, according to the Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS) conducted by theJanaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy.[26] The city was also selected as the best governed city in India in a survey conducted by Janaagraha Centre for citizenship and democracy in 2017.[27]
The city takes its name from theMalayalam wordthiru-anantha-puram (തിരുവനന്തപുരം[t̪iɾuʋɐnɐn̪d̪ɐpuɾɐm]ⓘ), meaning "The City of Lord Ananta",[28] referring to thedeity of theSri Padmanabhaswamy Temple located in the city. Thiruvananthapuram is also known in literature, and popular reference asAnanthapuri, derived from theSanskrit wordSyanandurapuram, meaning "The City of Bliss" in Carnatic kirtanas composed bySwathi Thirunal, erstwhile Maharaja ofTravancore.[29] The city was officially referred to asTrivandrum until 1991 (Trivandrum being the anglicised name of the town), when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram.[30]
Thiruvananthapuram is a relatively modern region with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE.[31][32] It is believed that the ships ofKing Solomon landed in a port calledOphir (nowPoovar) in Thiruvananthapuram in 1036 BCE.[33][34] The city was the trading post ofspices,sandalwood andivory.[35] 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 theAys.Vizhinjam, which is now a region in the present-day Thiruvananthapuram, was the capital of the Ay dynasty.[38] Vizhinjam was an important port city from as early as the second century BC.[39][40] During the Ay dynasty's rule, Thiruvananthapuram witnessed many battles in which theChola andPandyan dynasties attempted to capture the port town.[41][42]
After the death of kingVikramaditya Varaguna in 925 AD, the glory of the Ays departed and almost all their territories became part of theChera dynasty.[43][18] During the tenth century, the Cholas attacked and sacked Vizhinjam and surrounding regions.[18] The port in Vizhinjam and the historic education center of Kanthalloor Sala were also destroyed by Cholas during this period.[44][45] A branch of the Ay family, which had controlled thePadmanabhaswamy Temple, merged with theKingdom of Venad in the 12th century.[18]
A map ofMalabar Coast drawn by Homann Heirs in 1733. At that time, Travancore was only a small territory wedged betweenKollam andKanyakumari, as shown in the map (Present-day districts ofThiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari only).
It was in the latter half of the 18th century, that Travancore inherited the kingdoms up toCochin and became a powerful kingdom, and Thiruvananthapuram became a major city of Kerala.
Present-day Thiruvananthapuram city, district, andKanyakumari district, were parts of theAy dynasty during ancient andmedieval ages, which was aTamil kingdom based in the southernmost part of the Indian subcontinent.[46] Ay kingdom had experienced attacks and conquests byCholas andPandyas in various periods.[46] Later it became a part ofVenad in late Middle Ages, which was eventually expanded as the powerful kingdom ofTravancore in 18th century CE.[46] TheTamil-Dravidian kind of architecture is also found in Padmanabhaswamy temple, which makes it distinct and unique from the architectural style of temples in northern and central parts ofKerala.[46]
Thambiran Vanakkam was printed at Kollam, the capital ofVenad in 1578, during the Portuguese Era. It holds the record of the first book printed in any Indian language. It was written in the languageLingua Malabar Tamul which was spoken inKerala during the medieval period.
The official language ofKerala, based atKollam, was also identified asTamil, by the natives of Kerala in those times.[47][48] and theChola dynasty,[49][50][51] The place names, the dialects ofMalayalam spoken, and the customs that exist in Kerala today still reveal a close relationship with Tamil heritage.[52]
In the early 18th century CE, theTravancore royal family adopted some members from the royal family ofKolathunadu based atKannur.[53] Then,Marthanda Varma who inherited the Kingdom of Venad expanded the kingdom by conquering the kingdoms of Attingal, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Kottarakara, Kottayam, Changanassery, Meenachil, Poonjar and Ambalapuzha. In 1729,Marthanda Varma founded the princely state ofThiruvithamkoor and Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital in 1795 after shifting the capital fromPadmanabhapuram inKanyakumari district.[54] Thiruvananthapuram became a prominent city in Kerala underMarthanda Varma.[55]
A language map of India prepared in 1822.
As a result of the annexation of neighbouringchiefdoms, the artists and scholars from these places migrated to Thiruvananthapuram, turning it into a cultural center. Marthanda Varma gave patronage to different temple art forms includingKoothu,Padhakam,Kathakali,Thullal, andKoodiyattam. Noted artists such asRamapurathu Warrier andKunchan Nambiar amongst others served as his court poets.[56] Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerfulZamorin ofKozhikode in the battle ofPurakkad in 1755.[20]
The Thiruvananthapuram Municipality came into existence in 1920 as the first municipality in theTravancore region. The municipality was converted into a corporation on 30 October 1940, during the period ofChitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, who took over in 1931.[60] The city witnessed multi-faceted progress during his period. The promulgation of the "Temple Entry Proclamation" (1936) was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of theUniversity of Travancore in 1937, which later becameKerala University.[61]
With the end of British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popularly elected ministry, headed byPattom Thanu Pillai, was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital ofThiru-Kochi, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour, theKochi.[62] The king ofTravancore,Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, became theRajpramukh of theTravancore-Cochin Union from 1 July 1949 until 31 October 1956. When the state ofKerala was formed on 1 November 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became its capital.[63]
A significant milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment ofTechnopark—India's first IT park—in 1995.[65] Technopark has developed into the largest IT park in the geographical area,[66] employing around 62,000 people in 450 companies.[67]
View ofPattom, the north eastern part of the city. TheWestern Ghats mountain range is seen in the background
Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills[68] by the seashore and is at8°30′N76°54′E / 8.5°N 76.9°E /8.5; 76.9 on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India.[69] The city is on the west coast of India and is bounded by theLaccadive Sea to its west and theWestern Ghats to its east. The average elevation of the city is 16 ft (4.9 m) abovesea level.[70] TheGeological Survey of India has identified Thiruvananthapuram as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorised the metropolis in the Seismic III Zone.[71] Thiruvananthapuram lies on the shores ofKaramana andKilli rivers.Vellayani,Thiruvallam andAakulam backwaters lie in the city.[72] The soil type in the middle part of the city is a dark brown loamylaterite soil high in phosphates. Laterisation is a result of the heavy rainfall and humid conditions. In western coastal regions of the city,sandy loam soil is found, and on hilly eastern parts of the district, rich dark brown loam of granite origin is found.[73]
TheThiruvananthapuram Corporation is spread over 214.86 km2 (82.96 sq mi).[3] The widerThiruvananthapuram metropolitan area comprises Thiruvananthapuram corporation, three municipalities and 27 panchayats, as of 2011.[74] Being the largest city in India's southern tip region, it is essential for both military logistics and civil aviation in the southern part of the country. Thiruvananthapuram is the headquarters of theSouthern Air Command (SAC) of theIndian Air Force.[75]
The city has a climate that lies on the border between atropical savanna climate (KöppenAw) and atropical monsoon climate (Am). As a result, its only distinct seasons relate to rainfall rather than temperature. The mean maximum temperature is 34 °C (93 °F) and the mean minimum temperature is 19 °C (66 °F). The humidity is high and rises to about 90% during themonsoon season.[76] Thiruvananthapuram is the first city along the path of thesouth-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. The city receives heavy rainfall of around 1,835 mm (72.2 in) per year. The city also gets rain from the receding north-east monsoons which hit the city by October. The dry season sets in by December. The lowest temperature recorded in the city core was 10.8 °C (51.4 °F) on 6 January 1974 and the highest temperature was 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) on 21 February 2019.[77] At the airport, the lowest temperature recorded was 12.1 °C (53.8 °F) on 15 January 1975 and the highest temperature was 36.3 °C (97.3 °F) on 5 May 1998.[77]
Climate data for Thiruvananthapuram City (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020)
According to provisional results of the 2011 national census, the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram, which occupies an area of 214 km2 (83 sq mi), had a population of 957,730.[3] The city's population density was 4,454/km2 (11,540/sq mi).[3] The Urban Agglomeration had a population of 1,687,406 in 2011.[5] The sex ratio is 1,040 females for every 1,000 males, which is higher than the national average.[3] Thiruvananthapuram's literacy rate of 93.72%[85] exceeds the all-India average of 74%.[86]
It is a historical city whereMalayali form the vast majority of Thiruvananthapuram's population. There are also minorities like theTamils and North Indians residing here. According to the 2011 census, 68.5% of the population isHindu, 16.7%Christians and 13.7%Muslims.[87] The remainder of the community includesJains,Jews,Sikhs,Buddhists and other religions which account for 0.06% of the population; 0.85% did not state a belief in thecensus.[87]
Malayalam, the official state language, is the dominant language in Thiruvananthapuram City:[88] English is also used, mainly by the white-collar workforce.Tamil has the most speakers afterMalayalam. The city also has a fewTulu,Kannada, Konkani,Dhivehi,Telugu and Hindi speakers. As per the 2001 census, the population below thepoverty line in the city was 11,667.[89]
TheCorporation of Thiruvananthapuram or TMC oversees and manages the civic infrastructure of the city's 100 wards.[91] Each ward elects acouncillor to the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram. TMC has the power to act as the local government of the city.[92] TMC is headed by the Mayor, who is elected from among thecouncillors. The Mayor is responsible for the overall supervision and control of the administrative functions of the TMC. The corporation discharges its services through standing committees.[92] The corporation secretary is an officer appointed by thegovernment, who serves as the administrative head of the TMC and implements the council's decisions based on the resolutions adopted by the council. The functions of the Municipal Corporation are managed by seven departments—engineering, health, general administration, council, accounts and revenue.[93] For the decentralised role of TMC, eleven Zonal Offices are created. The zonal offices are in Fort, Kadakampally,Nemom,Ulloor, Attipra, Thiruvallom,Kazhakkuttom,Sreekaryam,Kudappanakunnu,Vattiyoorkavu andVizhinjam.[94] The functions of the TMC include water supply, drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid-waste management, and building regulation. TheThiruvananthapuram Development Authority is responsible for the statutory planning and development of thegreater Thiruvananthapuram region.[95]
TheKerala Water Authority supplies the city with water that is sourced from theKaramana River;[109] most of it is drawn from theAruvikkara andPeppara reservoirs, and it is treated and purified at the Aruvikkara pumping stations.[110] The Wellington Water Works, commissioned in 1933, is one of the oldest city water supply schemes in India.[111] The sewage water is treated at Muttathara sewage-treatment plant, which handles 32 million litres per day.[112][113] The city area is divided into seven blocks for the execution of the sewage system.[114] Electricity is supplied by theKerala State Electricity Board.[115] Fire services are handled by theKerala Fire And Rescue Services.[116]
Tourism is a significant economic sector.[130][131][132] The presence of natural attractions like beaches,backwaters, hills, and plantations and attractions like heritage, history,Ayurveda, medical tourism and knowledge centres attract many tourists.[133] The city experienced a surge of investment in the real estate, infrastructure and retail sectors in 2016–17.[134]
Port-related activity is low mainly due to the underdevelopment of ports.Vizhinjam International Seaport is India's first deep-watertransshipment Port.[135] Vizhinjam port's location is close to the international shipping routes and, it is just 10–12 nautical miles from the busyPersian Gulf-Malacca shipping lane.[136] The port also has a natural depth of 18 to 20 metres which can accommodate hugecontainer ships.[137] The berths at Vizhinjam port are designed to cater to vessels of up to 24,000TEU.[138]
Established in 1855, theNapier Museum contains a vast collection of Ancient paintings and archaeological artefactsAttukal Pongala festival marks the world's largest gathering of women
Thiruvananthapuram is known as the "Evergreen City of India" because of its green landscapes and the presence of many public parks.[142] Thiruvananthapuram has historically been a cultural hub inSouthern India due to the development of arts, architecture and liberal customs by the rulers of erstwhile Thiruvananthapuram. As a testimony to this, renowned artists like MaharajaSwathi Thirunal andRaja Ravi Varma hail from the city.[143][144] Prominent social reformers such asSri Narayana Guru,Chattampi Swamikal,Ayyankali,Vakkom Moulavi andC. V. Raman Pillai also are from Thiruvananthapuram.[145]
Two of the threeMalayalam triumvirate poets,Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer andKumaran Asan are from Thiruvananthapuram.[146][147] Annual literature festivals like the Kovalam Literary Festival, are held in the city.[148] Literary development is further aided by state institutions such as theState Central Library, one of the oldest public libraries in India, which was established in 1829,[149] and other major libraries including the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Central library, and theKerala University Library.[150] Thiruvananthapuram has been a hub ofclassical music since the days ofMaharaja of Travancore,Swathi Thirunal.[151][152] Thiruvananthapuram is known for many music festivals like the Navarathri Music Festival, one of the oldest festivals of its kind in South India,[151]Swathi Sangeethotsavam, Soorya Music fest, Neelakanta Sivan Music Fest and many other music festivals are organised by various cultural groups.[151] The 111-day-longSoorya Festival is the biggest art and cultural event inKerala.[153][154] The Soorya Festival features film festivals, theatre festivals, dance, music, painting and photography exhibitions.[153]
TheMalayalam film Industry was started in Thiruvananthapuram. The first Malayalam feature film,Vigathakumaran directed byJ. C. Daniel was released in Thiruvananthapuram.[155] J. C. Daniel is considered the father of Malayalam film industry. He also established the first film studio in Kerala, the Travancore National Pictures at Thiruvananthapuram in 1926.[156][157] TheInternational Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which is held every year in December, is one of Asia's largest film festivals in terms of viewer participation.[158][159] In addition to various film festivals, the presence of theCentral Board of Film Certification's regional office, many movie studios and production facilities like the Uma Studio,Chitranjali Studio,Merryland Studio,Kinfra Film and Video Park and Vismayas Max contribute to the growth of Thiruvananthapuram as a centre of cinema.[160][161]
Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, has a robust healthcare system, with both government and private medical institutions offering comprehensive services. The Government Medical College, one of the oldest medical colleges in India, is a prominent center for medical education and healthcare. TheSree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) is a well-known institution specializing in cardiology, neurology, and biomedical research. Other significant medical institutions includeRajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), which focuses on advanced biotechnological research, andKerala Institute of Medical Sciences[177] (KIMS), known for its multi-specialty services. Private hospitals like NIMS Hospital,[178] Aster capital, and Lord's Hospital[179] provide advanced care across various specialties, including cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics. Additionally, Ayurvedic treatment centers are prevalent in the city, offering traditional healing methods. The city also provides palliative care services, with initiatives like the Arike Home Daycare Program, which supports patients in need of end-of-life. care at home.
Other major hospitals in Trivandrum include Ananthapuri Hospitals and Research Institutes (AHRI),[188] SP Fort Hospital,[189] Aster Capitol,[190] Trivandrum International Medical Center,[191] PRS Hospital,[192] NIMS
The majority of bus services are conducted by government operators. There are also private operators.[193] The city buses operated byKerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) are an important and reliable means of public transport available in the city. The main bus stations in the city are theCentral Bus Station inThampanoor, where most of the long-distance buses ply from, and the city bus station inEast Fort, where most city buses ply from.[194][195] Three-wheeled, yellow and blackauto-rickshaws and taxis, are other popular forms of public transport.[196][197] Thiruvananthapuram Metro is a fully elevatedmetro rail –rapid transit system planned to ease the congestion in the city.[198][199]
Thiruvananthapuram has a well-developedroad transport infrastructure.[198] The roads in the city are maintained by the Thiruvananthapuram Roads Development Company Limited (TRDCL) andKerala PWD.[200] TRDCL manages the 42 km city roads which come under the Thiruvananthapuram City Roads Improvement Project (TRCIP), which is the first urban road project in India.[201][202] TRCIP is aPublic-private partnership project to improve and maintain the existing road network in the city to cater to the needs of rapid urbanisation.[201] TRCIP has won the International Road Federation's Global Road Achievement Awards in 2015.[203] TCRIP has also been selected byUnited Nations as a replicable Public Private Partnership model.[204] It was one of the 12Public-private partnership project case studies from across the world which fulfil theSustainable Development Goals of the UN Agenda 2030.[205][206] In 2024, Thiruvananthapuram became the first Indian city to win the UN global sustainability award.[207]
Thiruvananthapuram is served by theThiruvananthapuram International Airport, located at Chakai, only 6.7 km (4.2 mi) from the city centre. The airport started operations in 1935 and is the first airport inKerala.[218] Being one of the gateways to the state, it has direct connectivity to all the major cities in India as well as the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, theMaldives andSri Lanka. As the city is headquarters of theSouthern Air Command (SAC) of theIndian Air Force, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport caters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Coast Guard for their strategic operations.[219] IAF has an exclusive apron to handle all their operations. The airport also caters to theRajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology which carries out pilot-training activities.[220]
Small cruise ships often dock at Vizhinjam Harbour.[221] Acruise terminal is under trial run atVizhinjam Transshipment Terminal and some of the world's largest container vessels had already docked here.[222][223] Vizhinjam seaport has been designated by the government as an authorised immigration check-post for entry and exit from India for international ships and cruises.[224]
TheThiruvananthapuram Metro is a proposed 42.1km Conventional Metro rail system with 37 stations. With 2 primary lines connecting key hubs like Kazhakuttom and Karamana. The idea of the Thiruvananthapuram Metro was first proposed in the early 2000s to cater to the growing population.
Thiruvananthapuram is the birthplace of India's space operations.[276] The first rocket launch in India occurred in Thiruvananthapuram in 1963 at theThumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS). Since then, the city has emerged as a major hub for space research, institutions, and companies.
Space and Aerospace Research Institutions, Organizations, and Companies in Thiruvananthapuram
Trivandrum is the location of the Consulate of the United Arab Emirates and the Consulate of the Maldives. The city also has the Honorary Consulates of Sri Lanka, Russia, and Germany, facilitating diplomatic and cultural engagements.
The city has facilities to host most types of sports.[312] Thiruvananthapuram was one of the main venues for the2015 National Games of India.[313] Athletic competitions are usually held at theUniversity Stadium,Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium andCentral Stadium.[314] The Trivandrum Marathon is amarathon organised by the Trivandrum runners club every year.[315] There will be two main races; a half marathon of 21 km and a full marathon of 42.19 km. A special 2 km fun run is also organised for public participation.[316] Trivand Run is another marathon conducted every January in the city.[317]
Basketball tournaments are usually conducted by the schools in the city.[320] Thiruvananthapuram hosted the 61st National Shooting Championship at the Vattiyoorkavu Shooting Range.[321]Surfing is also a popular sport on the beaches. Many surfing andstandup paddleboarding tournaments are held in the city.[322] The surf competitions are usually held onKovalam Beach andVarkala Beach.[323]Paragliding is anotheradventure sport usually seen on Varkala Beach.[324]
TheSouthern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is headquartered in Trivandrum. It was established on 19 July 1984 to enhance India's air presence over the Indian Ocean.
The Indian Navy is setting up a strategic center in Trivandrum, including a Naval Armament Depot and Naval Communication Centre to strengthen coastal security.
^Balid, Vivek; Chatterji, Miabi; Reddy, Sujani; Vimalassery, Manu (2013).The sun never sets : South Asian migrants in an age of U.S. power. New York: NYU Press. p. 122.ISBN978-0814786437.
^De Beth Hillel, David (1832).Travels (Madras publication).
^Lord, James Henry (1977).The Jews in India and the Far East; Greenwood Press Reprint;ISBN0-8371-2615-0.
^The Business Directory, Kerala. National Publishers. 1972. p. 45.
^Karashima, Noburu. 2014. 'The Fall of the Old States', inA Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations, ed. Noburu Karashima, pp. 172–73. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
^"History".District Administration Thiruvananthapuram. National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India. Retrieved19 July 2018.
^Gauri Lakshmi Bayi, Aswathi Thirunal (1998).Sreepadmanabhaswami Kshetram. Thiruvananthapuram: The State Institute Of Languages. pp. 152–168.ISBN978-81-7638-028-7.
^"Kowdiar palace".About Kowdiar palace. Zonkerala. Retrieved25 June 2010.
^"Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation".Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Introduction. Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 16 September 2010. Retrieved3 January 2011.
^"The Movement for a United (Aikya) Kerala".State Portal of Kerala. Information & Public Relations Department, Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM), Government of Kerala. Retrieved19 July 2018.
^"Prisons Headquarters Poojappura".Kerala prisons and correctional services. Government of India, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Retrieved24 January 2018.
^"ISRO Centres".Indian Space Research Organisation. Department of Space, Government of India. Archived fromthe original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved1 March 2018.
^"About Institute".Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST). Department of Space, Govt. of India. 4 November 2014. Retrieved6 March 2018.
^"About IIST".Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology. Archived fromthe original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved6 March 2018.
^"Institutions of National Importance".Department of Higher Education. Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. Retrieved5 March 2018.
^"Professional College list".Office of the commissioner for entrance examinations. Government of Kerala. Archived fromthe original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved19 July 2018.
^"Regional Centres".Sports Authority of India. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. Archived fromthe original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved6 March 2018.
^"Contact Directory".National Centre for Earth Science Studies. Earth System Science OrganizationMinistry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. Retrieved8 March 2018.
^"Corporate Profile".Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. Retrieved8 March 2018.
.svg)
