Trivandrum Stopover - 2 Nights / 3 Days

The city derives its name from the deity at the Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswami Temple, one of the major landmarks of the place. The name of the city is derived from the words Thiru-Anantha-Puram, meaning the town of Anantha. Although no records of the antiquity of the temple really exists, the temple nevertheless is believed to be several thousands years old.

Thiruvananthapuram shot into prominence in the 18th century when the capital was shifted here form Padmanabhapuram, a little down south. The erstwhile kings of the then Travancore State, taking on the title of Padmanabhadas (servant of Lord), had dedicated themselves completely to the service of the Lord residing in the temple here. By the terms of this dedication, the deity owns the kingdom while the king is the mere executor of the trust. After independence, the city was designated as the capital of Kerala.

Tourist Attractions

There are a number of tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram, India. A must on every tourist itinerary for Thiruvananthapuram, the Padmanabhaswami temple with its gopuram (tower) soaring majestically upwards, is believed to be one of the 108 shrines sacred to the Vaishnavites in India.

Besides this magnificent temple, Thiruvananthapuram offers a great deal more. There is the Observatory to start with, established over a hundred years ago in Thiruvananthapuram in India. Several kings have also built their palaces in and around the Thiruvananthapuram, India, each more impressive than the other. Despite a few attempts at modernity, Thiruvananthapuram retains its discreet, old-world charm.

In Thiruvananthapuram one can visit the Museum with its profusion of gables and turrets. A repository of fine works of art, the chief attraction here is the 250-year-old temple car made for Lord Vishnu, artistically designed and ornamented. Besides this, objects carved out of wood, models of temple, antique jewelry, etc., make the museum worth a visit.

Lying within the museum compound of Thiruvananthapuram, Sri Chitra Art Gallery proves to be an ideal place for art lovers. The piece de resistance is the large section devoted to the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, an Indian painter of distinction in the history of the country's modern art. Besides him, the Indian section also contains works of Rabindranath Tagore, Jamimi Roy, K. K. Hebar, miniatures from the Rajput and Mughal schools of painting and the famous Tanjore paintings encrusted with semi-precious stones. The gallery's collection also includes paintings from Indonesia, China, and Japan.

Day 01 : Trivandrum
Arrival. Meet/transfer from airport to hotel (check in/out 12.00 hrs).

Day 02 : Trivandrum
Day free at leisure.

Day 03 : Trivandrum
Departure. Transfer from hotel/ Airport in time to connect flight to onward destination.