Places
to see: Thiruvananthapuram
The
area of historical interest in the city is the Fort, at the southern end of M.G.Road,
which encloses the famous Shri Padmanabhaswamy Vishnu Temple. The fort gateway
leads to the temple, which is surprisingly enough, in the Dravidian style of architecture,
typical of Tamil Nadu. The temple enshrines, and is dedicated, to the presiding
deity of Thiruvananthapuram, Lord Vishnu. It was constructed by a Maharaja of
Travancore, in 1733. The temple is open only to Hindus. The city derives its name
from this temple, as the deity i.e Lord Vishnu, is shown as reclining on his serpent,
Anantha.
The Museum, Zoo, and the park they are located are in, are quite
popular with the local people and tourists. The Napier Museum is housed in a striking
building, and has a good collection of bronzes, ivory carvings, ancient musical
instruments and life-size figures of Kathakali dancers. The art collection at
the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, contains paintings of the Mughal, Tanjore and Rajput
schools and a special section, devoted exclusively to the paintings of Raja Ravi
Varma.
There are, also, works of art from China, Bali, Tibet and Japan.
The Zoological Gardens are, said to be, among the most well-planned zoos in Asia.
The Botanical Garden within the zoo, houses specimens of almost every tropical
tree existing. The Observatory, located on the highest point of the city, is one
of the impressive architectural landmarks of Thiruvananthapuram.
