ITINERARY

Places that you visit

1   Padmanabha Swamy Temple

2   The Napier Museum

3   Sree Chithra Art Gallery

4   Puthenmalika (Kuthiramalika) Palace

5    Kanakakunnu Palace

6     Astronomical Observatory

7      Trivandrum Zoo

8     Veli Lake and Tourist Village

9      Shangumugham Beach

10     Kovalam Beach

11     Vizhinjam lighthouse

12     Marine Aquarium

13    Fishing Harbour Vizhinjam

14   Local Markets  Trivandrum

Details of the  Places Covered:-

PADMANABHA SWAMY TEMPLE  :- A blend of Kerala and Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is noted for its mural paintings and stone carvings. One among the 108 sacred Vishnu temples in India, the presiding deity here is Lord Vishnu reclining on Anantha, the Serpent. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple in prescribed dress code. Spread over an area of 2,400 sq. metres, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple is believed to be over 260 years old. The temple with its gopuram (tower) towering majestically is believed to be among the 108 shrines sacred to the Vaishnav in India.

Declared in 2011 as the richest temple in the world, the 260 year old Padmanabha Swamy Temple is one of the 108 sacred shrines or Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Besides its spiritual achievement, the temple is also known for its fine blend of Kerala and Dravidian architectural styles featuring extensive usage of mural painting and stone carvings.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Darshan Timings

THE NAPIER MUSEUM :- A visit to the Napier Museum complex reveals a glimpse of Kerala’s rich cultural heritage. An exceptional piece of architecture, the Museum is named after the former Madras Governor General, John Napier. The Napier Museum is also called the Government Art Museum. The Museum building is a combination of the Kerala, Mughal, Chinese and Italian architectural styles.

This 19th century Napier Museum is housed in a wooded charm of Kerala, designed and developed with a natural air conditioning system. The museum’s rare attractions include a collection of bronzes, Buddhist sculptures, ivory carvings, ancient ornaments, etc.

SREE CHITHRA ART GALLERY :- Located near Napier, this art gallery is known for featuring selected paintings from the celebrated painter of the region, Raja Ravi Varma. Besides this collection, the gallery also has paintings from Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore art schools.

The Sree Chithra Art Gallery near the Napier Museum was opened in 1935 by the then Maharaja of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal, displays rare collection of paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, Svetlova and Nicholas Roerich; exquisite works from the Mughal, Rajput and Tanjore schools of art. An oriental collection consisting of paintings from China, Japan, Tibet and Bali offers a visual treat and are a tribute to the art and culture of these countries. The collection also includes unique copies of Indian mural paintings from pre-historic times down to the 18th Century.

PUTHENMALIKA (Kuthiramalika) PALACE :- Kuthiramalika Palace Museum or Puthenmalika Palace Museum is a beautiful two-storeyed palace situated near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Also known as horse palace it houses numerous artefacts. The palace courtyard also becomes live during the yearly music festival conducts in the courtyard, Swathi Sangeethotsavam. A music festival commemorating the legacy of Swathi Thirunal and is conducted from 4 to 13 January every year.

This palace was built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma – the King of Travancore, who was a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. This rare specimen of workmanship, in the traditional Travancore style of architecture has exquisite wood carvings. The palace museum displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family.

KANAKAKKUNNU PALACE  :-  It is said to be built by Sree Moolam Thirunal.It has been later used by the travancore royal family to entertain its guests and serve non vegetarian food as the royal family was vegetarian. It is now protected by the tourism department the palace plays host to a lot of cultural meets and programs. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has listed this place as a heritage monument.

ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY TRIVANDRUM :-  The Thiruvananthapuram Observatory stands on a hill, about 60 feet high, and 200 feet above the level of sea. It commands an extensive and beautiful view of an undulating and finely variegated country towards north, the east, and the south-and of the sea horizon to the west. The eastern view is terminated by the Ghat Mountains.The geographical situation of the Observatory is 8 degree 30 min northern latitude and 76 degree 59 min eastern longitude. The Observatory which functions today as part of the Department of Physics, University of Kerala, commenced its operations in 1837 and is one of the oldest of its kind in modern India. It owes its origin to the initiative and vision of Sri Swati Tirunal, the versatile Maharaja of Travancore who himself, a keen student of Astronomy.

TRIVANDRUM ZOO  :-  Trivandrum This well- cultivated collection of museums, a gallery and an excellent zoo are a peaceful haven from the flurry of the city. The modern zoological gardens are among the most impressive in the subcontinent.

The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo (also known as Trivandrum Zoo) is located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. It occupies 55 acres (22 ha) of woodland, lakes, and lawns. It is the oldest zoo in India and Asia.

Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is one of the oldest of its kind in India. Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, who ruled Travancore between 1830 and 1847, established a menagerie where royal tigers, panthers, cheetahs, deer, boar, and other wild animals were kept. His brother Uthram Thirunal and British Resident William Cullen formally establish the zoo in 1857 as an annex to the Napier Museum. The zoo was originally built with the typical iron-barred cages prevalent at the time, and was designed for recreational purposes, but with increased loss of forest and wildlife due to human development, the goal of the Zoo has changed from recreation to conservation

A modernization project started in 1995 aims to gradually replace the old enclosures with spacious naturalistic enclosures. The state government of Kerala is undertaking this renovation with financial and technical help from the Central Zoo Authority.

VELI LAKE AND TOURIST VILLAGE :- Trivandrum’s most popular picnic destination, Veli Tourist Village is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the city centre, very close to the Trivandrum airport. The picturesque Veli Lagoon is separated by a narrow sandbar from the Arabian Sea; this sandbar is the Veli Tourist Village complete with a waterfront park, floating bridge and great water sports facility. Particularly popular with children, the place gets extremely crowded on weekends. A major draw to Veli is the large inland lake separated from the ocean by a narrow sandbar. Set out on a sunset cruise into the Veli Lagoon and watch the water change color from bluish-green to burnt orange. Enjoy the tranquil beauty of the lagoon and the Arabian Sea beyond on a pedal boat or row boat. Power boats, kayaks and hovercraft are other options for water sports lovers. Scenes from the daily life of the local fishermen flash past as you drift on the lagoon. You will see them ready their boats, work on their nets or poll sand-laden barges

SHANGUMUGHAM BEACH :-Shanghumugham Beach in Thiruvananthapuram is one of the main beaches in Kerala, situated just 8 km from Trivandrum city. Shangumukham Beach is situated close to Veli Tourist Village and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The beach is noted for its serene atmosphere, the vast stretch of white sand and its ideal location miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The beach provides an ideal spot for relaxation and enjoying the beauty of sunset.

MATSYA KANYAKA SCULPTURE:- A huge, 35 m long sculpture of a mermaid, known as Matsya Kanyaka or Jalakanyaka is one of the major attractions of Shanghumugham Beach. Other tourist attractions include an indoor recreation club and the Star Fish Restaurant – a restaurant designed in the shape of a Starfish. Situated near the beach is the Chacha Nehru Traffic Training Park – where children can have a first-hand knowledge about traffic rules.

KOVALAM BEACH :- The internationally renowned Beach Resort, Kovalam is an alluring tourist destination in action since 1930’s. The rocky beach promontories separate the sea shore into three adjacent crescent beaches namely Lighthouse, Hawah and Samudra beach. .

Kovalam is a small coastal town in the southern Indian state of Kerala, south of Thiruvananthapuram. At the southern end of Lighthouse Beach is a striped lighthouse with a viewing platform. Palm-backed beaches also include Hawa Beach and Samudra Beach. Heading south, Vizhinjam Juma Masjid mosque overlooks the busy fishing harbor

VIZHINJAM LIGHT HOUSE :- Vizhinjam lighthouse is situated near Kovalam beach in Kerala. It started functioning on 30 June 1972. Vizhinjam was a busy seaport in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Before the current light was installed, there were no lighthouses at this location. A day mark beacon (flag mast) must have been there in 18th century. After 19th century, this port was in a neglected state. A lighted beacon was constructed in 1925 at nearby Kolachal. Subsequently, a day mark beacon was provided at Vilinjam during 1960The tower is cylindrical with a height of 36 meters. The paint markings are red and white bands. The lighthouse is equipped with metal halide lamps and direct drive mechanism 

MARINE AQUARIUM :- Saagarika Vizhinjam Marine Aquarium
at Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram, this aquarium houses a rich treasure of marine wealth which has perfected the Image Pearl production technique, by which a mould of any shape, made of shell cement is implanted into the pearl oyster. In two to three months, a pearl in the shape of the mould will be ready.

FISHING HARBOUR VIZHINJAM :- The fishing village is located by the side of the natural deep bay, formed by a rocky promontory on the northern side and the rocky outcrops on the southern side.  These natural facilities coupled with the traditional fishing activity in the village, favour the establishment of a deep sea fishing harbour at Vizhinjam, to exploit the available fish resources in the near and far off regions.

LOCAL MARKETS :-  We take a walk down the astonishing Chalai Bazaar in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), a prime shopping destination for the daring buyer. India’s incredible diversity has become the symbol of a country in constant flux. Busy markets and bazaars across India embody this diversity as vendors scramble to sell anything from vegetables to gold in mazes of endless alleyways