PLACES
TO VISIT
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.
