MAJOR LANDMARKS IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

AARSHA J.SRUKMINI SUNILYVETTE DENNIS JOSEPH

KERALA GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

(Statue Jn, MG Road)

» The Kerala Government Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram is the seat of administration of the Government of Kerala, housing important ministries and bureaucratic offices.

» The Secretariat complex was originally constructed as Durbar Hall for Travancore Kingdom.

» Over 140 years old, the building's foundation stone was laid by His Highness Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore in 1865 and was completed in 1869. The original structure was planned to accommodate Travancore Royal Durbar Hall where the King meet his council of officials on monthly basis.

» It was designed and built under Barton, the then chief engineer of Travancore and incorporates elements of Roman and Dutch architecture.

» The construction was supervised by the then Dewan, T. Madhava Rao, whose statue now stands across the road opposite the building.

» His Highness Chithira Tirunal Bala Rama Varma, the last king of Travancore, was crowned king in a ceremony held at the Secretariat.

» The Secretariat also housed the Legislative Assembly from 1939 before it moved to the new building.

KERALA STATE LEGISLATIVE

ASSEMBLY BUILDING(Palayam PMG Road)

» Just like Kerala Legislature, the Legislative Assembly building also has a great historical background.

» The working of Travancore Legislative Assembly began on August 23, 1888 with its inaugural meeting at Diwan's office at Bhakthivilasam Palace which is the present All India Radio.

» The construction of Legislative Assembly complex began on June 4, 1979 when the President of India Dr. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy laid the foundation stone.

» The first stage was the inauguration of Administrative block by Balram Thakar, Loksabha Speaker of the time.

» Legislative Assembly building, the construction of which started on 11 August 1986, was inaugurated on 22 May 1998 by K.R. Narayanan, Former President of India.

RAJ BHAVAN(Vellayambalam)

» Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of Kerala. It is located In Vellayambalam.

» Built in 1829 as Palace Guest house of Travancore Government Guest, this heritage structure hosts the present governor of Kerala, Nikhil Kumar.

» The Kerala Raj Bhavan was originally constructed by Royal Government of Travancore as a guest palace to accommodate state guests and heads of states while on their official visits to Thiruvananthapuram.

» For a brief period from 1914 to 1918, the palace was used as War Office of Travancore Army and state armed forces during World War I. During this period, the palace was also the official residence of General Chief of Staff of Travancore Army.

» When Kerala was formed in 1957, there were three Raj Bhavan, the Bolgatty Palace of Ernakulam, Devikulam Palace of Munnar (Summer Palace of Travancore Maharajas) and Thiruvananthapuram Raj Bhavan. However the Government of Kerala later decided to do away with former two Raj Bhavans, by converting Bolgatty Palace into a heritage hotel and Devikulam Palace as Government Guest House.

» Built in the Kerala traditional style, the Raj Bhavan has are 3 major structures, with the main building being the oldest and heritage complex. The East Wing houses Governor's private residence. The West Wing houses residences of chief officers, guest rooms and a mini-museum. The Chitra Thirunal Hall, located in West wing, is used for all state ceremonies.

SREE PADMANABHASWAMY

TEMPLE(East Fort)

» Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Thiruvananthapuram, India.

» The shrine is run by a trust headed by the royal family of Travancore.» Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple gave its name to Kerala’s state capital

Thiruvananthapuram. ‘Thiru’ ‘Anantha’ ‘Puram’ means Sacred Abode of Lord Anantha Padmanabha.

» The type of architecture used is Dravidian Architecture.» Padmanabhaswamy temple has been declared as one of the wealthiest

temples in India and with the final estimate of the wealth, it might overtake the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple—hitherto thought to be the wealthiest temple—having some 32,000 crore or 320 billion (US$5.9 billion) in gold, coins and other assets. It is estimated that the value of the monumental items is close to 1.2 lakh crore or 1.2 trillion (US$22 billion), making it the richest temple in the world.

PADMATHEERTHAM(In front of the

Padmanabhaswamy temple)

» A silent spectator to history, Padmatheertham, the sacred pond in front of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, has many tales to tell.

» It is one of the oldest water bodies in the city and is located on the north western part of the temple.

» This sacred tank was constructed during the Travancore era, with the incoming water from the Kochar, a tributary of river Killi.

» There was a flushing mechanism as well, with the excess water diverted to nearby Pathrakkulam and then to Thekkanamkara canal.

» There are many a legend revolving around this temple pond.

EAST FORT(Kizhakke

Kotta)

» East Fort or Kizhakke Kotta, as it is known in Malayalam, is today the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city. The fort is built around Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.

» Its construction works started in the year 1747, during the reign of King Marthanda Varma and was completed in 1787 when King Kartika Thirunal Dharma Raja was ruling over the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore.

» The height of the fort is approximately 15 feet and is built in on the plan of Mr. Thaikkad Vishnunathan Namboothiri, a renowned architect of those days. There are four main gateways and three sub gateways for the fort.

» The fort is now a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.» It is the central bus depot for the city bus services run by the state-run KSRTC. » It is linked by MG Road to rest of downtown Thiruvananthapuram, and is the point

of diversion to other parts of the city, as well as the famed Kovalam beach. » The city's Central railway station, as well as the Central Bus Stand (for long distance

buses) are both a few minute walk from East Fort, so are most of Thiruvananthapuram's cinemas, as well as top cultural venues and shopping malls.

» East Fort, during the past few decades has transformed itself into one of the biggest commercial hubs of Trivandrum.

» The 450 meters long street facing East Fort and Padmanabha Swamy temple is the most expensive stretch of land in Trivandrum.

CORPORATION OFFICE

(LMS Vellayambalam Road)

» During the reign of His Highness Chithira Tirunal, the last ruling king of Travancore, Thiruvananthapuram Municipality which came into existence in 1920 was converted into Corporation on 30th October 1940.

» During that time its headquarters was situated in the MG road, against the SMV High School.

» With the formation of the Corporation several multipurpose developmental projects were launched under the leadership of Sir C P Ramaswami Aiyar, who was the contemporary Dewan.

» The contemporary Chief Minister, Sri Pattom Thanu Pillai laid the foundation stone of the new Corporation building on 19th March 1962. The constructional activities were completed in 1966.

» The Ex-Prime minister late Smt. Indira Gandhi inaugurated the building on 3rd June 1966.

NAPIER MUSEUM(LMS Vellayambalam Road)

» The Napier Museum, one of the prime attractions of Thiruvananthapuram city had started in 1857 under the initiative of Mr. Allen Brown, the director of Thiruvananthapuram observatory.

» In 1860, during the reign of Sri Uthram Thirunal, the then monarch of the erstwhile Travancore dynasty, the new building was inaugurated by Mr. John Napier, the Governor General of Madras(1866-1872) and the museum was named after him.

» The architectural masterpiece was designed by Robert Chisholm, the consulting Architect of the Madras Government and the construction was completed in 1880. Napier Museum is a landmark in the city with its unique ornamentation and architectural style with gothic roof and minarets. The Indo-Saracenic structure also boasts a natural air conditioning system.

» The museum contains the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, which contains works from Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas Roerich, as well as examples of Mughal and Tanjore art.

» The Museum grounds also hold a Zoological garden, which is one of the oldest in India. This Zoo was established in 1857 and is spread over 55 acres (220,000 square metres) of land.

KANAKAKUNNU PALACE

(North East of Napier Museum)

» Located about 800 meters north east of the Napier Museum in the heart of Trivandrum city, Kanakakunnu Palace is one of the last architectural vestiges of the colonial era.

» Built during the reign of Travancore king Sree Moolam Thirunal (1885-1924), the palace served as the main venue for royal banquets.

» Now under the Kerala government’s wing, the palace complex walls-in the

Nishagandhi open-air auditorium and Sooryakanthi auditorium.

» A popular haunt of culture vultures in the city, the auditoriums are the venues for various cultural meets and programs.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

(MG Road)

» University College, which is a pioneering institution in the higher education sector of the district, has a history dating back to 1834.

» It was founded during the reign of King Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma to facilitate educational system in the western model. In 1866, the institution was upgraded to the status of a college.

» Since then, the college has played a great role in moulding the intellectual life of many generations and now has grown into one of the biggest in the state with as many as eighteen departments and research facilities.

KERALA UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIVE

BUILDING(General Hospital-

Palayam Road)

VICTORIA JUBILEE TOWN HALL(MG Road)

» Victoria Jubilee Town Hall, popularly known as VJT Hall, is a town hall in Thiruvananthapuram.

» Built to commemorate the golden jubilee of the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1896, the VJT Hall was inaugurated by Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma on January 25, 1896.

» The hall has witnessed many historical events.

» Perhaps the most preferred venue for public functions in the city like exhibitions and cultural get-togethers, this monument stands tall as a proud remnant of the colonial era.

STATE CENTRAL LIBRARY(Museum Bakery Junction Road)

» State Central Library of Kerala is also known as Trivandrum Public Library. It is situated at the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city.

» It is the first public library in India.

» The Library was established in the year A.D. 1829 during the reign of His Highness Sree Swathi Thirunal Maharaja of Travancore.

» The work of starting and organising the Library was entrusted to Col.

Edward Cadogan, then the British Resident who was the grand son of Sir Hans Sloane, the founder of the British Museum.

» Col. Cadogan was the first president of the Trivandrum Public Library committee

» This statue of Maha Kavi Ulloor S Parameswara Aiyer (1877-1949) is located inside the State Central library Compound

JUMA MASJID(Palayam)

» Juma Masjid, commonly known as the Palayam Pally of Trivandrum, is the principal mosque of Trivandrum.

» It is nearly 200 years old.» Moulavi Jamaludheen Mankada is its Imam.» The history of the Palayam Mosque at Trivandrum dates back to 1813 AD,

when the British Indian Second Regiment was stationed here.» It was then constructed as a small mosque. Later, in the 1960s, many

philanthropic businessmen and government officials of Trivandrum took up its renovation and constructed the present-day Palayam Juma Masjid under the leadership of the Qazi and Imam Moulavi Sheikh Abul Hassan Ali Noori.

» The Juma Masjid was inaugurated by the president of India Dr. Zakir Hussain in 1967.

» Sheikh Abul Hassan Ali Noori (1921–2011), a freedom fighter, multilingual scholar was the first Imam of Palayam Juma Masjid.

ST. JOSEPH’S METROPOLITAN

CATHEDRAL(Palayam)

» St.Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Palayam, Trivandrum, is the Cathedral Church of the Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum.

» This 137-year old grand monumental Goethic structure has a moderate beginning.

» The initial Church was constructed in 1873 as a Parish Church to look after the spiritual needs of a few Catholic military men and a few Catholic families.

» The very name Palayam has its ethymological meaning a ‘Contonment’ ie, the Military’s residence.

» On May 4th, 1873 the first Church was blessed by the then Bishop of Quilon Most Rev.Eldaphonese OCD and Rev.Fr.Emygdius OCD, the Parish Priest.

» The Second phase of extention work in the manner of the Cross was done in 1912 during the tenure of Rev,Fr.Pamcratius OCD. And the final stage of extention, including the Goethic style imposing front and the bell-tower was completed in1927 during the time of Rev.Fr.Ildaphonse OCD.

CONNEMARA MARKET

(Palayam)

» Established in 1857, Connemara market in Palayam is one of the major shopping hubs of the city.

» It was built during the reign of King Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma of erstwhile Travancore dynasty to supply day-to-day commodities to the army members.

» The arched gate which leads to the market was inaugurated by Sir Connemara, Governor of Madras Presidency on his visit to Thiruvananthapuram in 1888 and the market was named ‘Connemara market’ in honour of him.

H H THE MAHARAJA’S GOVT. COLLEGE FOR

WOMEN(Vazhuthacaud)

» The Govt. College for Women is the sixth oldest college in Kerala and one of the oldest women’s colleges in the country.

» It was started as the Sircar Girl’s School, in 1864 by the Royal family of Travancore.

» In 1897 the Sircar Girl’s School was upgraded as a Second grade college and re-designated as The Maharaja’s College for Girls and affiliated to the Madras University.

» In 1920, it was elevated to the status of a First grade college and was renamed as H.H. The Maharaja’s College for Women.

» Today the College has 22 teaching departments that conduct 16 U.G. courses and 17 P.G. courses.

» Nine of the departments are identified as research centres by the University of Kerala.

» Miss Sarah Blunt was the first principal.

GANDHI PARK(East Fort)

» Gandhi Park is situated in front of the East Fort, which is famous for hosting socio-politico gatherings.

» Gandhi Park has been completely remodelled with modern urban landscaping, and is a popular spot for a relaxing stroll or time-out.

» The Gandhi Park provides a magnificent view of the entrance to the East Fort which is lit up.

VETTI MURICHA KOTTA

(East Fort)

» The Vetti Muricha Kotta is a part of the heritage East Fort located to the south of the iconic gate.

» According to popular belief this fort was named 'Vetti Muricha Kotta', meaning 'to cut open fort', as a section of the East Fort wall was demolished to build a new gate.

» . This was done in order to facilitate an alternate entrance for King Vishakam Thirunal of the Travancore dynasty, who was advised against using the main gate by an astrologer.

» As of now, this gate is well preserved by the State's Archaeological Department and provides room for guards on either side.

GENERAL HOSPITAL(General Hospital Road)

Started in the 1800’s

AKG CENTRE (Palayam Airport

Road)

» AKG Centre is the Headquarters of communist party of India (Marxist) CPI (M).

» AKG stands for A K Gopalan, who was one of the leaders who founded the communist party.

» He was the opposition party leader of the Parliament and was known as the people’s leader.

» State Secretary: Mr Pinaray Vijayan

» Leaders: Sri V S Achudanandan (Ex-Chief minister of Kerala), Sri Kodiyeri Balakrishanan

Accountant General (AG) Office, MG Road,

Thiruvananthapuram