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| Places of Interest |
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Angengo | Ponmudi | Agasthyakoodam | Govt. Observatory | Aruvi Waterfalls | Neyyar Dam & Lion Safari Park | Neyyar Wild Life Sanctuary | Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary | Kovalam Beach | Sankhumugham Beach | Varkala Beach | Akkulam Lake | Veli Tourist Village | Aanchunthenghu Fort | Padmanabhapuram Palace | Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Museum | Kanakakkunnu Palace | Koyikkal Palace | Kaudiar Palace | Napier Museum | The National History Museum | Chacha Nehru Children's Museum | The Science and Technology Museum | Government Art Museum | Sree Chithira Art Gallery | Places of Worships | Padmanabha Swamy Temple | Sree Mahadeva Temple | Attukal Bhagavathy Temple | Varkala | Beemapalli | Churches | Mosques
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The National History Museum
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| It is a small museum with a decent collection of stuffed animals and dolls wearing traditional costumes |
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Chachu Nehru Children's Museum
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| The museum has an amazing variety of dolls, in fact over 2,000 dolls and some rare stamps. Open from Mondays to Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm. |
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The Science and Technology Museum
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It is situated near Hotel Mascot and exhibits scores of items highlighting science and technology. There is also a planetarium here.
Open daily 10 am to 5 pm. Closed on Mondays
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Government Art Museum
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Located in a beautifully landscaped 80-acre plot, the Government Art Museum forms part of a park-like complex which also houses the Sri Chitra Art Gallery and the Zoological Park at the heart of the city. The building is an architectural delight, combining styles of traditional Kerala architecture with Chinese and Mughal touches. Its 19th c. British architect, Chisholm, is said to have stirred in a touch of Brighton as well! The intriguing blend of colours - pink and blue, banana yellow and cherry red - merge with red and white lattice work and mock friezes to create a unique spectacle, best viewed on weekends when the entire building is the focus of several spotlights.
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Inside the museum are several period collections of bronze statues, treasures, costumes, masks, ancient jewellery, musical instruments and models, including one of the Nair joint family residence, the `tharavad'.
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Sree Chithira Art Gallery
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Next to the museum, this is in a smaller, traditional building. It houses the collections of the Travancore ruling family, and included an interesting assortment of turn-of-the-century Bengali school paintings, Rajasthani and Mughal miniatures. Tanjore paintings, and a selection of works by a Russian emigrant, Svetosku Roerich and by Kerala's favorite artist son, Raja Ravi Varma. The latter's works include a number of portraits
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of maharajahs and their families, British residents and distinguished individuals, and by studying their faces one gets a glimpse of a part of Kerala's history.
This place is open for visitors from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and remains closed on Mondays & Wednesday forenoons.
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Places of Worships
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Padmanabha Swamy Temple
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Renovated in 1733 AD by the then ruler of Travancore, Raja Marthanda Varma, this holy shrine attracts thousands of Hindu devotees. Located inside the east fort, this fascinating temple is the most important landmark of Thiruvananthapuram.
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The temple portrays both Kerala and the Dravidian styles of architecture. It is a grand seven storeyed structure adorned by innumerable stone carvings, ancient inscriptions and colourful murals. There are around 324 pillars in the temple corridor.
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The main Deity in this temple is Lord Padmanabha, who reclines on Anantha, the thousand-headed serpent. The Idol is about 5.5 mtrs (18 feet) long and is one of the largest Vishnu deities in India. The Deity reclines in a large, dimly lit room. You can see the Lord through three large doors, one revealing his feet, another his midsection (with Brahma on the lotus) and the third his chest and head.
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The deity is taken on a procession everyday at 4 p.m. around the temple. There are several other deities in the temple including Sita, Rama, Hanuman, Krishna and Narasimha. There is a huge temple tank called Padma Teertham outside the temple.
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Only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple and they too have to strictly follow the dress code, which is dhoti for the men and a saree for the women. The temple remains open from 4:15 am - 5:15 am, 6:45 am - 730 am, 8:30 am - 10:30 am, 11:30 am - 11:45 am, 5:15 pm - 7:30 pm.
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Sree Mahadeva Temple
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| Situated in Kazhakuttom, this ancient temple is believed to date back to the 14th century. |
| Attukal Bhagavathy Temple |
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This temple is situated 2 kms from Thiruvananthapuram city. This is one of the ancient temples dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathy, attracting thousands of devotees from all over the region. This temple is famous for 'Pongala Utsavam'.
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Varkala
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It is an important Hindu centre of pilgrimage. The 2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple and the Nature Care Centre are the two main attractions here. The final resting place of the great social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru, Sivagiri is near Varkala. Besides this, Varkala is a seaside resort. According to a myth, sage Narada was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his valkkalam (cloth made of the bark of a tree) into the air, and the place where it landed was subsequently named Varkala. The mendicants were directed by Narada to offer their prayers in the newly created place by the seashore. The place where they prayed, came to be known as the Papanasham Beach (Papanasham means redemption from sins).
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| Beemapalli |
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A shrine dedicated to the memory of Beema Beevi, a pious muslim lady endowned with extra ordinary powers, is situated about 5 km south west of Thiruvananthapuram city.
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| Churches |
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St. joseph Church, Palayam Christ Church, Palayam LMS Church, Palayam Lourdes Church, Near PMG Jn. Pentacostal Church, Charachira
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Mosques
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| Jama Masjid, Palayam Mosque, Thampanoor |
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