Holy Pilgrimage – 25 (Tulja Bhavani Temple, Thiruvananthapuram) at 3:07 AM

 

84. Tulja Bhavani Temple

Tulja Bhavani Temple (Marathi: is a Hindu temple of Goddess Bhavani. It is located in Tuljapur in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra and is considered as one of the 51 Shakti Pithas. It is situated 45  km from Solapur.

History

The temple was built in c. 12th century CE. Another Tulja Bhavani temple was built during 1537-1540 CE in Chittorgarh.^{[1][dead link]} Another temple of Tulja Bhavani is in village Patnakuva Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Tulja Aai is called swayambhu Tulja bhavani.It is said that the Goddess came here from Tuljapur here in the 14th century.
The second among the 'Shaktipeeths' is Tulja Bhavani of Tuljapur. It is the family deity of the Bhosale Royal family. the founder of Maratha Kingdom, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj always visited the temple to seek her blessings. It is believed that the Goddess gifted him a sword - 'the Bhawani sword' - for success in his expeditions. The history of the temple has been mentioned in the ' Skanda_Purana '. There was a sage known as "Kardam" After his death his wife "Anubuti" had performed a penance at the banks of river "mandakini " for Bhavani mata to look after her infant child. While performing the penance the demon known "Kukur" tried to disturb her penance during which Mata Bhavani came to the aid of "Anubuti" and killed the demon "Kukur". From that day onwards the Goddess Bhavani came to be known as Tulja Bhavani. The temple is located on the hill of "Bala ghat". The same place is today known as Tuljapur. ^[2]

Tulja Bhavani Idol

The idol of Goddess Tulja Bhawani is a `swayambhu` (self-orinted).^[3] Bhavani is worshipped in the form of a three-foot high granite image, with eight arms holding weapons, bearing the head of the slain demon Mahishasura. Bhawani is also known as Tulaja, Turaja, Tvarita and Amba. The main entrance goes by the name of `Sardar Nimbalkar Pravesh Dwar`. There are two main entrances to get to the main temple. One is called the Raja Shahaji Mahadwar, and the other as Rajmata Jijavu main gate. Going through the Sardar Nimbalkar Pravesh Dwar, there is the Markandeya Rishi`s Temple in the right. After getting down through the stairs, comes the main Tulija Temple. The `yagna kund` is in front of this temple. In the floor of the two main gates (Raja Shahaji Mahadwar and Rajmata Jijavu main gate), there are two libraries named, Shree Santh Dnyaneshwar Dharmik Library and Shree Tukaram Dharmik Library. After alighting from the stairs, there is `Gomukh Theerth` on the right side and `Kalakh`, also known as `Kallol Theerth` on the left side. Before the darshan of the Goddess, devotees take a dip here in these theerths. There are also Amruth Kund and Duth temple in the premises. A Siddhi Vinayak temple adorns the left side of the main gate, to the right being the Aadishakti, Aadimata Matangadevi temple respectively. A temple of goddess Annapurna temple is also present in the premises.Legendary stories naturally surround the temple. A demon, Matanga was wrecking havoc upon the gods and humans. Unable to find any solution, they turned to Lord Brahma for help, and upon His advice turned to Goddess Shakti, who took up the form of a destroyer and powered by the other (Sapta) Maataa Varaahi, Brahmi, Vaishnavi, Kaumaari Indraani and Saambhavi, vanquished the demon Matanga and rendered a peace regime. Legend also states that Bhawani finished another demon that had taken up the disguise of a buffalo (Mahisha), and took shelter on the Yamunachala Hill, which is now home to the Tuljabhawani temple.

Daily puja rituals

Chaughada (holy drumming ritual at morning): At 5 a.m., the morning before the Puja starts, the large drums in the drum house (Nagarkhana) of Tuljabhavani temple are played loudly. The meaning of this drumming is that the devotees should be prepared and come before the puja. The drums are drummed (Chaughada) three times during the day.
Charantirtha (sacred water ritual of goddess feet and mouth): The puja performed at 5:30 a.m. This puja is performed by the hands of Mahant Vakoji Bua. At the time of Charantirtha puja, the representative of Karvir (Kolhapur) princely state is present. The Mahanta washes the goddess' mouth and feet with hot water, odoriferous oil, dudhkhir (milk), pan. Devotees sing the Arti (holy songs). After this Bhaji-Bhakri the Nevaidya (holy meal) is offered to the goddess. The descendant representative of the devotee Uparkar offers this Nevaidya. Later the Nevaidya of Kheer by the representative of Karvir (Kolhapur) princely state is offered.
Abhishek (holy bath ritual to goddess) Puja (prayer): At 9 o'clock in the morning the goddess has a bath of Panchamrut and curd. Honey, banana and sugar is rubbed to the goddess' mouth. The Gomukh (holy pond of the goddess) water is used for the goddess' bath. During this puja some people bathe the holy throne of goddess by curd, mango liquid, shreekhand. After the bath, Mahanevaidya (big holy meal) by the Karvir (Kolhapur) princely state is offered to goddess.
Dhup arti: At noon, the clergy and devotees praise the goddess by singing holy songs and lighting the dhup and karpur (camphor).
Abhishek (holy bath ritual to goddess): At 6 o'clock that evening, the goddess is bathed by Panchamruta and water from Gomukha and puja is performed. The arrangement of these materials is done by the Karvir (Kolhapur) princely state.
Shejarti (nightly sleep songs ritual) and Prakkshal: At night the Prakkshal ritual is performed using the holy water from the Gomukha and the Nevaidya of Tup (Indian liquid butter) and Bhat (cooked rice) is offered.
During every Aarti ritual musical instruments such as tal, dimdi and zanj are played. Gondhali plays the Sambal instrument as Chaughada are drummed.

Tuljabhavani Temple Trust

The day to day affairs of the temple are looked after by the trust which is headed by District Collector. MLA, Nagaradhyaksha, Dy Collector and Tahsildar are other trustees.

Pujaris

The main pujaris in the temple are from the non-brahmin ^[4] Bhope caste designated under OBC classification (other backward castes) . They are in 16 ana system have different PALI like Parmeshavar, Dinoba, Udaji, Malba and some Patil's. PALI etc.

Goddess Bhavani
Bhavani is a ferocious aspect of the Hindu goddess Parvati. Bhavani means "giver of life", the power of nature or the source of creative energy. In addition to her ferocious aspect, she is also known as Karunaswaroopini, "filled with mercy".
Bhavani was the tutelary deity of the Maratha leader Shivaji,in whose veneration, he dedicated his sword, Bhavani Talwar. A temple to Bhavani at Tuljapur in Maharashtra, dates back to the 12th century. The temple contains a meter-high granite icon of the goddess, with eight arms holding weapons. She also holds the head of the demon Mahishasura, whom she slew in the region which is the present day Mysore

Temples of Bhavani

The Tulja Bhavani and another temple in Tuljapur in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra is considered as one of the 51 Shakti Pithas. This temple was built in c. 12th century CE. A Tulja Bhavani temple was built between 1537-1540 CE in Chittorgarh.^[

History

Worship of the primeval energy, Shakti, in the form of the mother Goddess is seen in the four Shakti Peethas of Maharashtra - Bhavani with her seat at Tuljapur, Mahalakshmi at Kolhapur, Mahamaya Renuka at Mahur and Jagadamba at Saptashrungi, and also in Tamil Nadu (Periyapalayam)Sri Bhavani Amman. Other Shakti temples in the state are those at Ambejogai and Aundh. (also see Daksha Yagna)
Bhavani was the tutelary deity of Shivaji, the valiant Maratha ruler and is held in great reverence throughout the state of Maharashtra. Bhavani is considered to be an embodiment of Ugra or ferocity, as well as a Karunaswaroopini - filled with mercy. A number of castes, sub-castes and families from Maharashtra consider her their family deity or Kuldevta.
The Bhavani temple in Tuljapur is located on a hill known as Yamunachala, on the slopes of the Sahayadri range in Maharashtra near Sholapur. The temple entrance is at an elevation and visitors need to ascend a flight of steps to reach the shrine. Historic records speak of the existence of this temple from as early as the 12th century CE.
Bhavani is worshipped in the form of a 3-foot-high (0.91 m) granite image, with eight arms holding weapons, bearing the head of the slain demon Mahishasura. Bhavani is also known as Tulaja, Turaja, Tvarita and Amba.
Legend has it that a demon by name Matanga wreaked havoc upon the devas and the humans who approached Bhrahma for help and upon his advice turned to the Mother Goddess Shakti, who took up the form of the destroyer, and powered by the other (Sapta) Maataas Varaahi, Bhrahmi, Vaishnavi, Kaumaari, Indraani and Saambhavi and vanquished him for peace to reign again.
Legend also has it that Bhavani vanquished another demon who had taken the form of a wild buffalo (Mahishasura), and took abode on the Yamunachala hill, which is now home to the temple.
Four worship services are offered each day here. The festivals of significance here are Gudi Padva in the month of Chaitra, Shriral Sashti, Lalita Panchami, Makara Sankranti and Rathasaptami. The deity is taken out in procession on Tuesdays. Navaratri is also celebrated with great fanfare, and it culminates in Vijaya Dasami.
Sri Bhavani Devi is Adhi Parashakthi herself, The name Bhavani denotes so many meanings
Bhavani- Bhava(Shiva)ni- Internal Power of Lord Shiva
Bhavani- Parvathi
According to Lalitha Sahasranamam Bhavani means, Detiy who always helps devotees, who gives Mukthi
Great Sage and Guru Aadhi Shankara says, A Person who recitates the name Bhavani with true devotion thrice every day
will not acquire Sorrow, Sin, Illness & Unexpected Death, People confuse Bhavani devi with Renuka devi
Bhavani devi story is different from Renuka devi
One of the Great Purana Devi Bhaghavatam says Bhavani Devi is the original form of Aadhi Parashakthi and Sister
Of Shri Krishna, Since Maha Vishnu did Penance to get Devi's help for his Krishna Avatar, Devi is born to Yashodha
As Maha Maaya devi (in Tamil Magamaaye), That is why Bhavani amman holds Sanghu (Conch)& Chakram (Wheel) which resembles
Vishnu, Her Appearance actually denotes She is the Sister of Vishnu

Idol of Tuljabhavani

The idol of Tuljabhavani is made up of black nonperishable stone.It is around 3 feet in height and 2 feet in width. The face of goddess is beautiful and smiling. The goddess has no clothes carved on her upper body. The goddess is asta-bhuja(with 8 hands) Mahishasur mardini Durga. As she is Parvati, she has a swayambhu (self manifested) shiv-lingam in her crown. She has an arrow holder on her back. Her long hair is coming out of the crown. The sun and the moon are present as witnesses of her victory over Mahishasur. Her lion stands near her. The idol is self manifested and movable. It is moved three times a year from its place to the bedroom of Maa Bhavani. Below the lion, sage Markandeya is chanting the durga-saptashati shlokas. The lady sage Anubhuti is on the left side of the goddess. She is in a hanging position and is meditating on the goddess. It is chala idol. It is moved thrice a year during the long sleeping periods of maa Bhavani. The face of Sati had fallen in Tuljapur because of which the goddess is decorated in such a way that only her face is visible after covering her with sarees and ornaments. Bhavani came here to save Anubhuti from the demon kukur. In a battle with the goddess, kukur took the form of a buffalo. Bhavani cut his head,then he sharted coming in his original form,at that time she penetrated her trident in his chest.hence she is in form of mahishasur mardini durga.

Transportation

Pilgrims can reach this place by road, rail or airways.

Roadways

Pilgrims coming from Southern parts can reach this place by roadways through Naladurga. Pilgrims from northern and eastern regions can reach Tuljapur through Solapur while those coming from eastern regions can take a highway through Nagpur or Latur.
State owned and private bus services are available from the neighbouring states, with the journey breaking at places mentioned above. Pilgrims can also travel to this place by their own vehicles.

Railways

Solapur station, located 45 km away, is the nearest railway station to Tuljapur. Pilgrims can reach here through road from the station.

Airways

The nearest airports to Tuljapur are Pune and Hyderabad. Pilgrims can reach here from these airports through roadways.

85. Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram (IPA: [t̪iruʋənɨn̪t̪əpurəm] ( listen)) known in English as Trivandrum /trɨˈvændrəm/, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India",^[4][5] the city is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills and busy commercial alleys.^[6] The city has a population of more than 750,000 inhabitants and a population of around 1.68 million in the urban agglomeration, Thiruvananthapuram is the largest and most populous city in Kerala.^[7] It is an IT hub of the state with over 80% of the state's software exports.^[8][9][10]
The city houses several central and state government offices and organizations. Apart from being the political nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the University of Kerala, and to many science and technology institutions, the most prominent being the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Technopark, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST),^[11] the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala,^[12] Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER),^[13] the Centre for Development Studies, the International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS), the Regional Research Laboratory, the Centre for Earth Science Studies, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology and the Sree Chitira Thirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology.^[14] It is also considered as one of the 10 greenest cities in India.^[15][16] Thiruvananthapuram was ranked as the best city in Kerala to live in by a recent Times of India survey

Origin of name

The city gets its name from the Malayalam word thiru-anantha-puram IPA: [t̪iruʋənɨn̪t̪əpurəm] ( listen), meaning the "City of Lord Ananta".^[18] The name derives from the deity of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple at the centre of the city. Anantha is the serpent Shesha on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu reclines. This temple of Vishnu reclining on Anantha remains the iconic landmark of the city. It is estimated that the value of the monumental items and assets of the temple partially revealed are close to 100,000 crore (US$18.2 billion), making it the richest temple in the world.^[19] The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum until 1991, when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram.

History

Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient region with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE.^[21][22] It is believed that the ships of King Solomon landed in a port called Ophir (now Poovar) in Thiruvananthapuram in 1036 BCE.^[23] The city was the trading post of spices, sandalwood and ivory.^[24] However, the ancient political and cultural history of the city was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The early rulers of the city were the Ays. With their fall in the 10th century, the city was taken over by the rulers of Venad.^[25]
The rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram began with accession of Marthanda Varma in 1729 as the founding ruler of the princely state of Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor in the local vernacular). Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of Travancore in 1745 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari district.^[26] The city developed into a major intellectual and artistic centre during this period. The golden age in the city's history was during the mid 19th century under the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. This era saw the establishment of the first English school (1834), the Observatory (1837), the General Hospital (1839), the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College (1873). The first mental hospital in the state was also started during the same period. Sanskrit College, Ayurveda College, Law College and a second grade college for women were started by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924).^[25]
The early 20th century was an age of tremendous political and social changes in the city. The Sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904 was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state.^[27] Despite not being under direct control of the British Empire at any time, the city however featured prominently in India's freedom struggle. The Indian National Congress had a very active presence in the city. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was held here in 1938.
With the end of the British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popular ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi.^[30] The king of Travancore, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from July 1, 1949 until October 31, 1956. When the state of Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of the new state.^[31]
With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1962, Thiruvananthapuram became the cradle of India's ambitious space programme. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) located in the outskirts of the city in 1963. Several establishments of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram

A major milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of Technopark—India's first IT park—in 1995.^[33] Technopark has developed into the largest IT Park in India^[34] and third largest in Asia, employing around 38,000 people in 280 companies^[35] This placed Thiruvananthapuram on the IT map of India and it is today one of the most promising in the country in terms of competitiveness and capability

Raja Ravi Varma

Raja Ravi Varma (Malayalam: രാജാ രവി വര്‍മ്മ) (April 29, 1848 - October 2, 1906) was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore (presently in Kerala) who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His paintings are considered to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the techniques of European academic art.
During his lifetime Varma is most remembered for his paintings of sari-clad women portrayed as shapely and graceful. Varma's paintings became an important motif in of the time, reproductions being found in almost every middle-class home.^[2] His exposure in the west came when he won the first prize in the Vienna Art Exhibition in 1873. Raja Ravi Varma died in 1906 at the age of 58. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art.

Early life

Raja Ravi Varma was born as Ravi Varma Koil Thampuran of Kilimanoor palace, in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore (Thiruvithankur) in Kerala. His father Ezhumavail Neelakanthan Bhattatiripad was an accomplished scholar, and his mother Umayamba Thampuratti (died 1886) was a poet and writer whose work Parvati Swayamvaram was published by Raja Ravi Varma after her death. His siblings were C. Goda Varma (born 1854), C. Raja Raja Varma (born 1860) and Mangala Bayi Thampuratti, who was also a painter.
At a young age he secured the patronage of HH Maharajah Ayilyam Thirunal of Travancore (a relative) and began formal training thereafter.^[3] He was trained in water painting by Rama Swami Naidu and later in oil painting by Dutch portraitist Theodor Jenson.
Raja Ravi Varma High School at Kilimanoor was named for him. There are many cultural organizations throughout Kerala in his name. His palace is nearly six kilometers from Ponganadu, 7.7 kilometers from Pazhayachanda and 36 km from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala.

Art career

Raja Ravi Varma received widespread acclaim after he won an award for an exhibition of his paintings at Vienna in 1873. Raja Ravi Varma's paintings were also sent to the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 and he was awarded two gold medals.^[4] He travelled throughout India in search of subjects. He often modeled Hindu Goddesses on South Indian women, whom he considered beautiful. Ravi Varma is particularly noted for his paintings depicting episodes from the story of Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and Nala and Damayanti, from the Mahabharata. Ravi Varma's representation of mythological characters has become a part of the Indian imagination of the epics. He is often criticized for being too showy and sentimental in his style. However his work remains very popular in India. His many fabulous paintings are available at Laxmi Vilas Palace of Vadodara

Honours

In 1904 Viceroy Lord Curzon, on behalf of the King Emperor bestowed upon Raja Ravi Varma the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal. At this time his name was mentioned as "Raja Ravi Varma" for the first time, raising objections from Maharajah Moolam Thirunal of Travancore and besides, as per the Marumakkathayam tradition, the name of the maternal uncle (Raja Raja Varma) was prefixed to the name. Thereafter he was always referred to as Raja Ravi Varma.^[3]
In 1993, art critic Rupika Chawla and artist A Ramachandran jointly curated a large exhibition of Raja Ravi Varma's works at the National Museum, New Delhi. Considering his vast contribution to Indian art, the Government of Kerala has instituted an award called Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram, which is awarded every year to people who show excellence in the field of art and culture. 

Personal life

Raja Ravi Varma was married to Pururuttathi Nal Bhageerathi Amma Thampuran (Kochu Pangi) of the Royal House of Mavelikara and they had two sons and three daughters.
Their eldest son, Kerala Varma, born in 1876 went missing in 1912 and was never heard of again. Their second son was Rama Varma (born 1879), an artist who studied at the JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, married to Srimathi Gowri Kunjamma, sister of Dewan PGN Unnithan.
Raja Ravi Varma's elder daughter, Ayilyam Nal Mahaprabha Thampuran, appears in two of his prominent paintings and was mother of Maharani Pooradam thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore. He had another daughter, Thiruvadira Nal Kochukunji Thampuran, grandmother of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Maharajah. His third daughter, born in 1882, was Ayilyam Nal Cheria Kochamma Thampuran.
His descendants comprise the Mavelikara Royal house while two of his granddaughters, including the said Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, were adopted to the Travancore Royal Family, the cousin family of the Mavelikara House, to which lineage the present Travancore Maharaja Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma belongs. Well known among his descendants are writer Shreekumar Varma (Prince Punardam Thirunal), artists Rukmini Varma (Princess Bharani Thirunal) and Jay Varma,^[5] classical musician Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma and others.

List of major works

The following is a list of the prominent works of Ravi Varma.

• Village Belle
• Lady Lost in Thought
• Damayanti Talking to a Swan
• The Orchestra
• Arjuna and Subhadra
• The heartbroken
• Swarbat Player
• Shakuntala
• Lord Krishna as Ambassador
• Jatayu, a bird devotee of Lord Rama is mauled by Ravana
• Victory of Indrajit
• A Family of Beggars
• A Lady Playing Swarbat
• Lady Giving Alms at the Temple
• Lord Rama Conquers Varuna
• Nair Woman
• Romancing Couple
• Draupadi Dreading to Meet Kichaka
• Shantanu and Matsyagandha
• Shakuntala Composing a Love Letter to King Dushyanta
• Girl in Sage Kanwa's Hermitage (Rishi-Kanya)

 

Tourism

Trivandrum is also a tourist hot-spot for both domestic and international tourists. Being the capital of Kerala, often known as "God's own country", Trivandrum is also called as "God's own capital". There are many tourist destinations in the city including Kovalam beach, Sanghumukham Beach, Napier museum and Zoo, Agasthyarkoodam peak, Neyyar Wild life sanctuary and Neyyar Dam, Kuthira Malika palace, Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, Ponmudi, Poovar, Varkala Cliffs and Beaches and many others. Trivandrum is also famous for being the Evergreen city of India.

Kanyakumari, Thiruvattar, Padmanabhapuram Palace and Tirpparappu waterfalls, are also near the city, in the adjoining Kanyakumari District (Nagercoil), in the state of Tamil Nadu

 

Culture

The citizens of Thiruvananthapuram are sometimes referred to as "Trivandrumites" by some tourism sites and blogging community, though the term is not in common use. The cultural background of Thiruvananthapuram originates from the efforts of the rulers of erstwhile Travancore, who took an active interest in the development of arts and culture. Thiruvananthapuram has produced several great artists, the most famous ones being Maharaja Swathi Thirunal,^[103] Irayimman Thampi and Raja Ravi Varma.
Maharaja Swathi Thirunal was a great composer and played a vital role in the development of Carnatic music.^[104] There is a music college in his name in the city – Swathi Thirunal College of Music. Raja Ravi Varma was a famous painter of international renown. His contributions to Indian art are substantial. Most of his famous paintings are preserved at the Sree Chithra Art Gallery in the city. The Padmanabha Swamy Temple and the fort surrounding it, the Napier Museum and Zoo, the VJT hall, Palayam Mosque and Church are among the prominent heritage buildings in the city. The Veli lake and Shankumugham beach are home to various sculptures of the noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman. Many people, including Mahatma Gandhi have admired the city's greenery
Thiruvananthapuram appears as a laid back and quiet city to a casual observer. However there are considerable cultural activities in the city. The cultural activities are more during the festival season of Onam in August/September, and during the tourist season later in the year. The state government organises the tourism week celebrations every year during the Onam with cultural events conducted at various centres in the city. The other major events include the annual flower show, the Attukal Pongala, the Aaraat of Padmanabha Swamy Temple, the Beemapally Uroos, Vettucaud Perunaal etc.^[106] The CVN Kalari at East Fort is a well known centre for training in Kerala's indigenous martial art—the Kalaripayattu. The Margi centre offers training in many of Kerala's traditional arts including Kathakali.
The general cuisine of the people is Keralite cuisine, which is characterised by an abundance of coconut and spices. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese and North Indian cuisines are popular. Fast food culture is also very prominent in the city.
Thiruvananthapuram has numerous libraries, the prominent ones being the State Central Library (Trivandrum Public library, Est. 1829),^[107] the University Library, Thiruvananthapuram Children's Library, Manuscripts Library and the Centre for Development Studies Library. The British Library (Est. 1964)^[108] was located very near to the Government Secretariat adjacent to the YMCA Hostel.

 

 

Sister Town / Twin Cities

Thiruvananthapuram is twinned with the following cities:

City	Country	State / Region	Since
Galveston	United States	Texas	1994
Barcelona	Spain	Catalonia	2009

 

 

 

Transport

Road

The NH-47, which runs from Salem to Kanyakumari, passes through the city. It connects important southern cities such as Coimbatore and Salem in north direction and Nagercoil in south direction.^[74] The Main Central Road (MC Road) which is an arterial State Highway in Kerala and designated as SH 1 starts from NH-47 at Kesavadasapuram in the city.
The Thiruvananthpuram Road Development Company Limited is an SPV to develop the road network in Thiruvananthapuram city.^[75] It is the first intra-city project in the country.^[76]
The intra-city public transport in the city is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC, though there are significant numbers of private buses plying within the city limits.
Within the city, city buses, taxis and autorickshaws provide means of transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favored means of personal transportation. The intra-city public transport is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation).^[77] There are also bus service operated by private operators and provides access within city limits and beyond. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad.^[78] These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and electronic ticketing mechanisms. The Central bus station is located Thampanoor, opposite Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. It connects Thiruvananthapuram with other parts of Kerala as well as other states. The central city bus terminal is located 1 km away at East Fort (Kizhakke kotta), near the Padmanabha Swamy temple.

Rail

Thiruvananthapuram comes under the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. There are five railway stations within the city limits including the Thiruvananthapuram central station. Thiruvananthapuram Pettah, Kochuveli and Veli stations are located towards north direction and Thiruvananthapuram Nemom is located in south direction from the central station.^[79] The Central railway station is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, and is about 5 km from the new international air terminal and nearly 8 km from the domestic air terminal. It is the largest and busiest railway station in the state.^[80] Kochuveli railway station is developed to ease congestion on central station and it act as satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central.^[81] Some of the long distance trains from the city operates from this station. The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express connects the city to New Delhi, the capital of India. The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities in India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Thiruvananthapuram is also the first major South Indian city on the longest train route in India, Kanyakumari to Jammu.^[82]

Monorail

Main article: Thiruvananthapuram Monorail

Thiruvananthapuram Monorail is a proposed monorail system for the city.^[83] The monorail is from Pallippuram to Neyyattinkara and will have a length of 41.8 kilometres (26.0 mi). 35 stops have been proposed with multi-storeyed parking lots in the stations.^[83]

Air

Thiruvananthapuram is served by the Trivandrum International Airport (IATA: TRV, ICAO: VOTV),which is the first international airport in India outside the four metropolitan cities then. It has direct connectivity to the Middle East, Singapore, Maldives and Sri Lanka and is a gateway to the tourism-rich state of Kerala. The airport is qualified for all-weather and night operations. One of the major advantage of the airport is the prevailing weather at the location that does not go to extremes, allowing flight operations without disruption year around.^[84] The International terminal of the airport is approximately 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) due west and the domestic terminal is approximately 8.0 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the central business district.^[85] The importance of the airport is also due to the fact that it is the southernmost airport in India and also the closest option for neighboring countries like Maldives and Sri Lanka, and the only option to Maldives from India. Also, apart from the regular scheduled flights, charter flights, primarily carrying tourists, also serve the airport.^[86]

Sea

The work on infrastructure development for the Deep Water Container Trans-shipment Port at Vizhinjam has begun, which is expected to be completed within one year and the work on the terminal is to begin within a year.^[87] It is to be built in three phases, and expected to be a key competitor in the ports business (especially for container transshipment), with the international shipping lanes between Europe and the Far East lying very close to the port, and also with major ports like Colombo, Kochi and Tuticorin in close proximity.^[88]
The exponential growth of the services and IT-based sectors coupled with its prominence as the state capital and tourist center has caused considerable strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To ease the strain, several construction projects are underway and completed^[89] including the construction of flyovers^[90] and under passes.^[91] In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane dual carriage ways are being built.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection