An excellent base to explore the interior of Kerala with its spacious layout and regulated life, the capital city Trivandrum is built on seven low coastal hills and has an interesting mixing of tree-lined avenues, ancestral homes, massive buildings and a long seacoast washed by the waves of the Arabian Sea. Trivandrum city treasures many erecting of historical importance and reservations. Considered as one of the loveliest cities in Kerala, the capital city is clean and green but more than a tourist place, the city depicts the historic whereabouts in the past. On skinning through Amazing Kerala tourism packages try to plan a visit to the capital city of Kerala.
BOTANICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS
One of the oldest zoos in India located in the heart of temple city is flourished with the museum and botanical gardens are oldest of their kind in the country. The visionary behind its construction is Swathi Tirunal Maharaja, the illustrious king and music composer who had ruled Travancore early and he had a good collection of animals like elephants, horses breed in his horse breeding centers. The park also had tigers, panthers, cheetahs, deer and a lioness.
His brother, Marthanda Varma has taken control over the zoo later and with the support of on British general, they incorporated a museum here and the museum was thrown open to the public in September 1857 but as it could in itself attract people much, a zoo and park were established in 1859. The zoo is also bordered by botanical gardens unique for its vibrant landscapes and luxuriant growth of vegetation. Tourists from different places visit the zoo and museum as it provides a respite for them more than offering tourism and recreation. The lofty trees of royal look towered by bamboos and lush green landscapes account for its breathtaking beauty.
More than being a tourist spot, currently the Zoo is serving the purpose of conservation and education implying captive breeding of rare and endangered animals and birds. The ambience of the zoo is just like providing a natural habitat for the animals so that they don’t feel captive. Visit this zoo for getting a feeling of being present at jungle where animals are around. Soon check out Exiting Kerala tour packages with price. The zoo houses varieties of primates like macaques, langurs and lion tailed macaque, Nilgiri Langurs which are endemic to the Western Ghats and are endangered. The animals live in highly socialized groups and are intelligent. There are herbivores who occupy different niche to avoid competition amongst themselves like rhinoceros, hippopotamus, hog deer and prolific sambar. Good collection of endemic and exotic birds are present here along with water birds like storks, pelicans, egrets, herons and cranes housed in a natural habitat. There are added the advantage of an aviary and reptile house, an aquarium nearby on the beach presents a selection of fishes and other marine creatures.
CHITHIRA ART GALLERY
An art gallery named Chithira Art Gallery situated within the museum compound ha collections of the works of Raja Ravi Varma, a pioneer in Indian art. Roerich landscapes work from the Tanjore School of arts, copies of Rajput and Mughal paintings and copies of paintings from Ajanta caves are the notable collections here. Museum also houses miniature painting from China, Japan, Bali and Tibet. The museum was opened to the public by the erstwhile king of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal in 1935 for the enjoyment and developing artistic traits of people. The royal house of Travancore and Kilimanoor Royal family has presented generously a large collection of paintings to the gallery. The king tried to collect rare pieces of arts and literature from different parts of the world to present bin this art gallery.
ANJENGO FORT
The fort which played a major role in Anglo-Mysore War is located at here in the outskirts of Trivandrum city. East India Company made this fort and is a good location for signaling ships. This place is 12 kilometre south of Varkala. Once it was the permanent place of British administration. From the lighthouse nearby, wonderful sight can be enjoyed.
EAST FORT
In order to safeguard the erstwhile Trivandrum city, Travancore rulers have made this fort which has the famous Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple at its heart. It has got its name as the entrance was to the east side and there lays a famous palace called as a kuthira Mallika palace. Earlier the city was inside this fort and some of the parts got ruined. As an added attraction there is a Ganesha temple inside the fort.
NAPIER MUSEUM
Set amidst lavishly wooded beautiful gardens, the Napier museum has a striking building with a unique architectural design is a wealth of bronze and stone sculpture also an exhibition of modern handicrafts from the state design centre. The Natural history exposition is a collection of stuffed animals and birds, skeletons and fossil remains. The Napier Museum was based on a very beautiful form of domestic art and started in the year 1857; the museum was the idea of J.A Brown, then director of the Trivandrum Observatory and general William Cullen, the then British resident. The catching attraction in this museum is that of the sword of great and first Martyrs of Indian freedom struggle, Velu Thampi Dhalava, the precious heirloom presented to kind of Kilimanoor palace on his military expedition to Mannadi and later handed over to the president of India. Currently, it is displayed here. Extravagant wood carvings, stone sculptures and coin collections are the key elements of interest in this museum. Exploring this museum with your family including children to inculcate good knowledge to them on ancient artifacts and history, family tour packages to Kerala allows on to visit these places effectively.
SREE CHITHIRA ENCLAVE
Located in the museum compound in Trivandrum, Sree Chithira enclave is actually a personal museum which has started functioning in 1993 in the memory of Sree Chithira Tirunal Bala Rama Varma who was the last Maharaja of Travancore depicts the history of the royal family of Travancore and its contributions to the growth of Kerala. the chariots used by king and queen along with medals, stamps, coins, swords and other belongings of the royal family is exhibited here. The socio-cultural history, geography and evolution of Travancore state is clearly narrated here. The real stories of past are interestingly narrated through a series of narrative mural paintings.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM
A must be visited place for children and students is located near Mascot hotel, offers an insight into the impressive growth achieved by India in scientific and technological fields. A planetarium is working inside the museum which is the first hybrid planetarium in India with tilted dome for presenting astronomical classes with a live show. This is the biggest projection screen in South India having provision for projecting night sky of any location on earth at any point of time using an optomechanical projector.
With these mentions, it is evident that more than a tourist spot of beaches and hills, Trivandrum is actually the history hub of Kerala preserved efficiently inculcating new technologies.
