Thiruvananthapuram

This article is about the city. For the district, see Thiruvananthapuram district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thiruvananthapuram, see Thiruvananthapuram metropolitan area.

Thiruvananthapuram
Metropolis
Trivandrum
Left to right, from top: Thiruvananthapuram City Skyline, Kovalam Beach, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station, Niyamasabha Mandiram, Kanakakkunnu Palace, East Fort, Technopark
Left to right, from top: Thiruvananthapuram City Skyline, Kovalam Beach, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station, Niyamasabha Mandiram, Kanakakkunnu Palace, East Fort, Technopark
Official seal of Thiruvananthapuram
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Evergreen City of India
God's Own Capital[1]
Map
Map
Coordinates: 08°31′26.8″N 76°56′11.8″E / 8.524111°N 76.936611°E / 8.524111; 76.936611
Country India
State Kerala
DistrictThiruvananthapuram
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Corporation
 • BodyThiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation
 • MayorArya Rajendran[2] (CPI(M))
 • Deputy MayorP. K. Raju (CPI)
 • Member of ParliamentShashi Tharoor (INC)
 • City Police CommissionerNagaraju Chakilam IPS
Area
[3]
 • Metropolis
214 km2 (83 sq mi)
 • Metro
[4]
311 km2 (120 sq mi)
 • Rank1st
Elevation
38.93 m (127.72 ft)
Population
[3]
 • Metropolis
957,730
 • Density4,500/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
 • Metro
[5]
1,890,406
Demonym(s)Trivandrumite,[6] Trivian
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
695xxx
Area code+91471xxxxxxx
Vehicle registration
Official languageMalayalam, English[7][8]
Gross domestic product(2020)US$15.777 (equivalent to $18.57 in 2023)Billion[9]
International airportThiruvananthapuram International Airport
International SeaportVizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram
ClimateAm/Aw (Köppen)
Websitetrivandrum.nic.in

Thiruvananthapuram,(/ˌtɪruːvəˌnʌntəˈpʊərəm/ TIRR-oo-və-NUN-təp-OOR-əm; Malayalam: [t̪iɾuʋɐnɐn̪d̪ɐpuɾɐm] ⓘ) formerly known as Trivandrum,(/trɪˈvændrəm/ trih-VAN-drəm English: /t̪iɾʋænɖɾʊm/ ⓘ)[10] is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the largest and most populous city in Kerala[11] and it is also a major port city. Thiruvananthapuram is where Asia's first space university, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology[12] located, and India's first IT park, Technopark Trivandrum is in Thiruvananthapuram. The city also includes India’s first deep-water trans-shipment port, the Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram,[13] as well as the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, known as the richest temple in the world.[14] Thiruvananthapuram is where India's space program began, with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the headquarters of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre located here. Thiruvananthapuram is also known for its cultural heritage, being associated with the musical contributions of Swathi Thirunal Rama varma and the artistic legacy of painter Raja Ravi Varma.Notable beaches in Thiruvananthapuram include Kovalam, Varkala, Shankumugham Beach ,and Poovar.The encompassing urban agglomeration population is around 1.68 million.[5] Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016.[15][16] Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India",[17][1] the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills.[18]

The present regions that constitute Thiruvananthapuram were ruled by the Ays who were related to feudatories of the Chera dynasty.[19] In the 12th century, it was conquered by the Kingdom of Venad.[19] In the 18th century, the king Marthanda Varma expanded the territory, founded the princely state of Travancore and made Thiruvananthapuram its capital.[20] Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755.[21] Following India's independence in 1947, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Travancore–Cochin state and remained so until the new Indian state of Kerala was formed in 1956.[22]

ULCV MSC Claude Girardet is the largest vessel to berth in South Asia.[23] It was seen near the beaches of Trivandrum prior to its arrival at Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram is a notable academic and research hub and home to the University of Kerala, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, the regional headquarters of Indira Gandhi National Open University, and many other schools and colleges. Thiruvananthapuram is also home to research centers such as the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Indian Space Research Organisation's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, National Centre for Earth Science Studies and a campus of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research.[24] The city is home to media institutions like Toonz Animation India and Tata Elxsi Ltd, and also to Chitranjali Film Studio, one of the first film studios in Malayalam Cinema, and Kinfra Film and Video Park at Kazhakoottom, which is India's first Infotainment industrial park.[25]

Being India's largest city in the deep south, it is strategically prominent and hosts the Southern Air Command headquarters of the Indian Air Force, the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station and the upcoming Vizhinjam International Seaport. Thiruvananthapuram is a major tourist centre, known for the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the beaches of Kovalam and Varkala, the backwaters of Poovar and Anchuthengu and its Western Ghats tracts of Ponmudi and the Agastya Mala. In 2012, Thiruvananthapuram was named the best Kerala city to live in, by a field survey conducted by The Times of India.[26] In 2013, the city was ranked the fifteenth best city to live in India, in a survey conducted by India Today.[27] 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 the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy.[28] 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.[29]

  1. ^ a b "History – Official Website of District Court of India". District Courts. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  2. ^ "India: 21-year-old student Arya Rajendran set to become mayor in Kerala". gulfnews.com. 25 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference citygi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Demographia World Urban Areas" (PDF). demographia.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 August 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 million and above" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Ramzan turns Kerala into a foodies' paradise". Times of India. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  7. ^ "The Kerala Official Language (Legislation) Act, 1969" (PDF). PRS Legislative Research. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  8. ^ "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  9. ^ https://metroverse.cid.harvard.edu/city/8095/overview
  10. ^ "Thiruvananthapuram | India". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  11. ^ https://trivandrum.nic.in/en/about-district/#:~:text=Thiruvananthapuram%20also%20known%20as%20Trivandrum,metropolitan%20population%20of%201.68%20million
  12. ^ https://www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in/organisations/ministry-and-departments/department-space-dos/indian-institute-space-science-and-technology-iist-kerala#:~:text=The%20Indian%20Institute%20of%20Space,demands%20of%20Indian%20Space%20Programme
  13. ^ https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2032811#:~:text=The%20Union%20Minister%20of%20Ports,port%20in%20Vizhinjam%2C%20Kerala%20today
  14. ^ https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/richest-hindu-temple
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference ecrev was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "Kunhalikutty to lay foundation stone for Technopark tomorrow". Technopark. 24 February 2016.
  17. ^ "Thiruvananthapuram India". Destination 360. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  18. ^ Kapoor, Subodh (2002). The Indian encyclopaedia : biographical, historical, religious, administrative, ethnological, commercial and scientific. New Delhi: Cosmo Publications. ISBN 8177552570.
  19. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference vizhis3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Boland-Crewe, Tara; Lea, David (2003). The Territories and States of India. Routledge. ISBN 9781135356255.
  21. ^ Shungoony Menon, P. (1878). A History of Travancore from the Earliest Times (pdf). Madras: Higgin Botham & Co. pp. 162–164. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  22. ^ Abram, David; Edwards, Nick (2003). The Rough Guide to South India. Rough Guides. p. 306. ISBN 9781843531036. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  23. ^ https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/ultra-large-container-vessel-msc-claude-girardet-on-its-way-to-vizhinajm/article68626973.ece
  24. ^ "Thiruvananthapuram: One of the South's Hottest IT Hubs-DQWeek". www.dqweek.com. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  25. ^ Prasanna, Laxmi (23 November 2016). "With centres nod, foundation stone laid for KINFRA's second phase IT/ ITES Park in Thiruvananthapuram". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Thiruvananthapuram best Kerala city to live in: Times survey". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  27. ^ "India's Best Cities: Winners and Why they made it". India Today. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  28. ^ "Thiruvananthapuram is the best city in India:Survey". The New Indian Express. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  29. ^ "Delhi, Mumbai not the best in urban governance, Thiruvananthapuram first". Hindusthan Times. HT Media Limited. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.