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Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum [t̪iruʋən̪ɨn̪t̪əpurəm] (help·info) (Malayalam:
തിരുവനന്തപുരം Tiruvanŭntapuraṁ), also known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum District,Kerala. 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", Trivandrum is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills and busy commercial alleys. With almost 745,000 inhabitants per the 2001 census, Trivandrum is the largest and most populous city in Kerala; the wider urban agglomeration having a population of about one million.
Trivandrum city is the state capital and houses many central and state government offices, organizations and companies. 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 Kerala University, and to many science and technology institutions, the most prominent being the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Technopark.
* 1 Origin of name
* 2 History
* 3 Geography and Climate
* 4 Economy
* 5 Government and politics
* 6 Infrastructure
* 7 Transport
* 8 Demographics
* 9 Culture
* 10 Education
* 11 Media
* 12 Sports
* 13 Strategic Importance
* 14 Notes
* 15 References
* 16 External links
Origin of name Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum means "City of Lord Anantha" in Sanskrit and Malayalam. The name derives from the deity of the Hindu temple at the centre of the city. Anantha is the serpent Shesha on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu reclines. The temple of Vishnu reclining on Anantha, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple remains the iconic landmark of the city. The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum in English until 1991, when the government
decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum in
all languages. However, the city is still referred to as "Trivandrum"
informally.
History of Trivandrum/Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum is an ancient city with trading traditions dating
back to 1000 BC. It is believed that the ships of King Solomon landed in a port
called Ophir (now Poovar) in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum in 1036 BC. The city
was the trading post of spices, sandalwood and ivory. 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.
The rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum began with accession
of Marthanda Varma in 1729 as the founding ruler of the princely state of
Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor in the local vernacular). Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
was made the capital of Travancore in 1745. 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 Lunatic Asylum 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).
The early 19th 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. 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.
The period of Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, who took over in 1931, witnessed
many-sided progress. The promulgation of "Temple Entry Proclamation" (1936) was
an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment
of the University of Travancore in 1937, which later became the Kerala
University.
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/Trivandrum/Trivandrum
became the capital of Thiru-Kochi, the state formed by the integration of
Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi. 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/Trivandrum/Trivandrum became the capital of
the new state.
With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in
1962, Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum 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/Trivandrum/Trivandrum.
A major milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of
Technopark—India's first IT park—in 1995. Technopark has developed into the
largest IT Park in India and third largest in Asia and is home to IT giants like
Infosys and TCS, employing around 12,500 people in close to 110 companies. This
placed Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum on the IT map of India and it is
today one of the most promising in the country in terms of competitiveness and
capability.
Geography and Climate Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum is built on hills by the sea shore and is located
at 8.5° N 76.9° E on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India.
The city and the suburbs covers an area of about 250 square kilometers,
sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. The average elevation
is 16 ft from the sea level.
The area can be divided into two geographical regions, the midlands and the
lowlands. The midland region comprises low hills and valleys adjoining the Ghats.
The lowland is a narrow stretch comprising shorelines, rivers and deltas, dotted
with coconut palms. Vellayani lake, biggest fresh water lake in the district is
in the suburbs of the city. The major rivers that flow through the city are the
Karamana river, and the Killi river.
There are highlands, which form the eastern suburbs of the city. The highest
point in the district is the Agasthyarkoodam which rises 1890 m above sea level.
Ponmudi and Mukkunimala are hill-resorts near the city.
Climate of Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
The city has a tropical climate and therefore does not experience distinct
seasons. The mean maximum temperature 34 °C and the mean minimum temperature is
21 °C. The humidity is high and rises to about 90% during the monsoon season.
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum is the first city along the path of the
south-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. The city gets
heavy rainfall of around 1700 mm per year. The city also gets rain from the
receding north-east monsoons which hit the city by October. The dry season sets
in by December. December, January and February are the coldest months while
March, April and May are the hottest. The winter temperature comes down to about
18 °C and summer temperatures can sometimes go as high as 35 °C.
Climate Table Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Mean daily maximum temperature (°C) 31 31 32 32 31 29 28 28 29 29 29 30
Mean daily temperature (°C) 27 27 28 29 28 26 26 26 27 26 26 27
Mean daily minimum temperature (°C) 22 23 25 26 25 24 23 23 23 23 23 23
Average rainfall (cm) 2 2 4 11 20 33 20 12 13 26 17 6
Source: Weatherbase
Economy of Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
The economy of Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum city was earlier based
on the tertiary sector with about 60% of the workforce being employed as
government servants. Large scale industrial establishments are low compared to
other south Indian state capitals like Chennai and Bangalore. At present the
economy is growing with the contributions from more professionals in the fields
of IT, and Medical/Bio-Technology. The city contributes 80% of software exports
from the state. The opening of many private Television channels in the state,
made Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum the home of several studios and
related industries. India's first and only animation park is situated here.
Since the establishment of Technopark in 1995, Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum
has steadily grown into a competitive IT centre. The city was rated as the best
2nd tier metro with IT/ITES infrastructure, and second in terms of availability
of human talent. Technopark houses global majors like Infosys, TCS, McKinsey &
Co., Ernst & Young, Allianz Cornhill, Tata Elxsi, Toonz, US Technologies, etc.
The park has around 110 companies employing over 12,500 professionals. With the
expansion plans to be completed in 2007–08, this figure is to rise to about
30,000. With the completion of the 600,000 ft² Thejaswini, Technopark has become
the largest IT Park in India. The works in progress include 400,000 ft² TCS
Peepul Park and TCS Development Centre. Peepul Park is partly operational. Work
on the 460,000 ft² Leela IT building, IBS Campus and Tata Elxsi D&D Centre has
commenced while that on the US Tech Campus and Infosys campus is due to commence
shortly.
Tourism has also contributed heavily to the economy of Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum.
Foreign tourists generally use Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum as a hub
to explore the highly promoted tourism industry of the state of Kerala It is
also a major destination for chartered flights to India for Medical tourism, as
there are more than fifty recognised Ayurveda centres in and around the city.
This is primarily due to Ayurveda's immense popularity in the West. Medical
tourism is further promoted by the recuperation facilities available at the
beach resorts and hill stations nearby.
There are around 20 government owned and 60 privately owned medium and large
scale industrial units in Thiruvanathapuram. The major employers are the Kerala
State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Milma, Keltron, Travancore
Titanium and Hindustan Latex, all government owned. There are also about 30,000
small scale industrial units employing around 115,000 people. Traditional
industries include handloom and coir.
Commercial activity is quite low mainly due to the under-development of ports.
However, this is expected to change with the construction of the proposed mega
Deep Water Container Transshipment Port at Vizhinjam. Situated close to the
city, Vizhinjam is very close to international shipping routes and the East-West
shipping axis and hardly require maintenance dredging. Other major organizations
of economic interest are the Chithranjali Film Complex, Kinfra Apparel Park,
Kinfra Film and Video Park, Kerala High-tech Industries (KELTECH), Kerala
Automobiles and the English Indian Clays Ltd.
See also: Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum Tourist spots
Government and politics Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
The city is administered by the Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum
Corporation headed by the Mayor. The city council is democratically elected and
comprises 84 members representing the different city wards. Several agencies
work under or in partnership with the Corporation including the Trivandrum
Development Authority (TRIDA) and Trivandrum Road Development Corporation.
Most of the city comes under the Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum Lok Sabha
constituency. Some northern wards of the city come under the Chirayinkeezhu
constituency. The city contributes to six legislative assembly seats namely
Kazhakoottam, Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum North, Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum
West, Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum East, Nemom and Kovalam.
The city police is headed by a Police Commissioner an officer of IPS rank. The
city is divided three police sub-divisions headed by Assistant Commissioners.
There are also two traffic sub-divisions. A women's cell and a narcotics control
cell also operate in the city. The other units of Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum
city police include Crime Detachment, City Special Branch, Dog Squad, Mounted
Police, District Crime Records Bureau, Foreigners Registration Office (FRO),
Tourist Police and District Armed Reserve. There are two state Armed Police
Battalions and a unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) based in
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum/Trivandrum. The CRPF has a Group Head Quarters
(GHQ) located at Pallipuram. There is also a large army cantonment in Pangode
where some regiments of the Indian Army are based.
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala and hence the state
legislative assembly and Secretariat are located here. The city is also the
headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum district. The only foreign
mission in the city is the Consulate of Maldives.
Infrastructure in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
The city is fully electrified by Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The
district is divided in to three circles: Transmission circle, Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
city and Kattakkada. Domestic consumers account for 43% of the total power
consumption, or 90 million units per month. Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
district has one 220 kV, nine 110 kV and six 66 kV electrical substations. A 400
kV substation has just been commissioned by the Power Grid Corporation and will
ensure high-quality power supply to the city.
The water supply schemes cover 100% within the city limits. It is 84% of the
urban and 69% of the rural population, when the district is considered. Peppara
and Aruvikkara dams are the main sources of water for distribution in the
capital city. The new project plan for improving the water supply with Japan aid
covers Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum city and six suburban panchayats having
urban characteristics.
The sewerage system in the city was implemented at the time of the Travancore
Kingdom, and modernised in 1938. This scheme for the disposal of sullage and
sewage is an underground system. The whole system is controlled by Kerala Water
Authority now. The city area is divided in to seven blocks for the execution of
the sewerage system, two commissioned in the 1990s and two after 2000. The
sewerage is pumped to a stilling chamber at the Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP)
located at Valiyathura, and is disposed through sewage farming. Diary
Development Department maintains this sewage farm and fodder cultivation is done
here. There is no revenue generation from this scheme, and the sewerage system
in the city is a service provided to the residents.
Transport in Thiruvananthapuram
Within the city, city buses, taxis and autorickshaws provide means of
transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favoured
means of personal transportation.
The intra-city public transport is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC (Kerala
State Road Transport Corporation). There are also private bus services, but are
limited in number. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely,
the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad.
These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and
electronic ticketing mechanisms. The central city bus terminal is located at
East fort, near the Padmanabha Swamy temple. The Central and Inter State bus
station is located 1 km away at Thampanoor. Buses from it go to all major towns
and villages in the State as well as big cities in India such as Bangalore and
Chennai.
The Central railway station is also located at Thampanoor in the heart of the
city, 8 km from the airport. It is a very important terminus which handles over
50 trains daily. The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities
in India. Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum is the first major city from south along
the second longest train route in the world, Kanyakumari to Jammu. A second
satellite station was opened in 2005 at Kochuveli, near the International
Airport.
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum's International Airport, with direct flights from
the Middle East, Singapore, Maldives and Sri Lanka is the gateway to the
tourism-rich state of Kerala. Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Air Deccan,
Kingfisher Airlines and Paramount Airways are the domestic airlines operating
from here. Air India, Air-India Express, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Kuwait Airways,
SilkAir, Etihad, Srilankan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air Arabia and Emirates
Airline operate international flights. There are also two military airports one
near the civilian airport and the other at the Southern Air Command of the
Indian Air Force at Akkulam. Apart from regular scheduled flights, many
chartered flights from Europe like First Choice Airways from London Gatwick and
Monarch, operating with big jets, land here during the peak tourist season
(around December); with Kerala fast becoming a prime tourist destination in
India. Thiruvanthapuram airport's importance is also due to the fact that it is
the southernmost airport in India and also the closest (and thus cheapest
option) for neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Maldives.
The construction of the mega Deep Water Container Trans-shipment Port at
Vizhinjam is expected to begin in 2007. It is to be built in three phases, and
expected to be a key competitor in the ports business (especially for container
transshipments), with the international shipping lanes between Europe and the
Far East very close to the port, and also with major ports like Colombo, Kochi
and Tuticorin in close proximity.
The exponential growth of the services and IT based sectors coupled with its
prominence as the state capital and tourist centre has caused considerable
strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To tackle this crisis,
several multi-million dollar construction projects are now underway including
the construction of several new underpasses and flyovers, scheduled to be
completed by early 2007. In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane
dual carriage ways are being built.
Demographics
The city has a population of 744,739 according to the 2001 census ( nearly 1.1
million on Nov 2006). Within the city, the density of population is about 5,284
people per square kilometer. The district has a literacy rate of 89.36%. With
the sex ratio being 1,037 females to every 1,000 males, there are more women in
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum than men. The wider urban agglomeration registered
a population of about one million in 2001.
Hindus comprise of 65% of the population, Christians are about 18% and Muslims
about 15%. The major language spoken is Malayalam. English and Hindi are also
widely understood. There is also a prominent minority of Tamil speakers and a
few Tulu and Konkani speakers.
Unemployment is a serious issue in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum, as it is in
whole of Kerala. The increase in the unemployment rate was from 8.8% in 1998 to
34.3% in 2003, thus registering a 25.5% absolute and a 289.7% relative increase
in five years. Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum taluk ranked third in Kerala with
36.3% of its population unemployed. The in-migration of unemployed from other
districts also boost this high unemployment rate. Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
has a high suicide rate in the state, which went up from 17.2 per lakh in 1995
to 38.5 per lakh in 2002. In 2004, the rate came down slightly to 36.6 per lakh.
This apparent paradox—high human development and low economic development—is
visible in the entire state of Kerala, and is often dubbed as the Kerala
phenomenon or the Kerala model of development.
Culture in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
The people of Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum are now sometimes referred to as "Trivandrumites"
, by some tourism sites and blogging community, though the word is not in common
use. Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum has a rich cultural background, with the
rulers of erstwhile Travancore taking an active interest in development of arts
and culture. Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum has produced several great artists,
the most famous ones being Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, Irayimman Thampi and Raja
Ravi Varma.
Maharaja Swathi Thirunal was a great composer and played a vital role in the
development of Carnatic music. A music college in his name exists today in the
city. Raja Ravi Varma was an illustrious painter with global recognition. 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
noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman.
Trivandrum Public library
Trivandrum Public library
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum easily disguises itself as a laid back quiet city
to the casual observer. However, beneath it, there is a hum of cultural
activity. The city comes to life during the festival season of Onam in
August/September, and during the tourist season later in the year. The state
government conducts the tourism week celebrations every year during Onam with
cultural events taking place 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. The CVN
Kalari at East Fort, is world renowned centre for training in Kerala's own
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 generally
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/Trivandrum has numerous libraries, the prominent ones being
the State Central Library (Trivandrum Public library, Est. 1829), the University
Library, Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum Children's Library, Manuscripts Library
and the Centre for Development Studies Library. The British Council and Library
(Est. 1964) is located very near the Government Secretariat adjacent to the YMCA
Hostel.
Education in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum is a major academic hub. The University of Kerala
is located here. The city also has several professional education colleges
including fifteen engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda
colleges, two Homeopathy colleges, six other medical related colleges, and some
law colleges. Trivandrum Medical College, the premier health institute of the
state is also one of the finest in the country. It is being upgraded to the
status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The College of
Engineering, Trivandrum is one of the prominent engineering institutions in the
country. The Asian School of Business and IIITM-K are two of the management
study institutions in the city, both situated inside Technopark. The Indian
Institute of Space Technology, the unique and first of its kind in India, is
situated in here.
The schools in the city are classified as Aided, Unaided and Government schools.
The government schools are run directly by the state government and follow the
syllabus prescribed by the state government. The aided schools also follow the
state syllabus. In addition to this there are also four Kendriya Vidyalayas run
directly by the Central government which follow the CBSE syllabus and private
schools run by educational trusts or boards which follow CBSE and/or ICSE
syllabus and/or state syllabus. The first International school in Kerala, The
Trivandrum International School, was started in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum on
August 2003. The literacy rate in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum, according to
the 2001 census, is 89.36 percent; 92.68 percent among males and 86.26 percent
among females.
Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum is a Research and Development hub in the fields of
space science, information technology, bio-technology, medicine and so on. It is
home to a cluster of research centres, which include Vikram Sarabhai Space
Centre (VSSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre(LPSC), Thumba Equatorial Rocket
Launching Station(TERLS), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio Technology, Tropical
Botanical Garden and Research Institute, ER&DC – CDAC, CSIR – Regional Research
Laboratory (RRL), Free Software Foundation (FSF), Regional Cancer Centre(RCC),
Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST),
Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Central Tuber Crops Research Institute
(CTCRI), Priyadarsini Planetarium, Centre for Development Studies, The Oriental
Research Institute & Manuscripts Library, Kerala Highway Research Institute,
Kerala Fisheries Research Institute, etc.
Media in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
Daily newspapers are available in English and Malayalam. The English newspapers
with editions from Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum are The New Indian Express and
The Hindu. The major Malayalam newspapers are Mathrubhumi, Malayala Manorama,
Kerala Kaumudi, Deshabhimani, and Madhyamam.
Most Malayalam TV channels are based in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum. The
government owned Doordarshan began broadcasting from here in 1981. Asianet was
the first private Malayalam channel and began operations in 1991. The other
channels now based in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum are Surya TV, Amrita TV,
Kairali TV, Kiran TV (Youth channel of Surya TV) Asianet Plus (Youth channel of
Asianet) and People (News and current affairs channel of Kairali TV). The local
cable services are provided by Asianet Satellite Communications Limited,
Trivandrum Cable Network Pvt Ltd and Siti Cable and they provide a bouquet of
local channels in addition to all the Indian channels. DTH services are
available through Doordarshan Direct Plus Tata Sky and Dish TV. All India Radio
has an AM (1161 MHz) and an FM (Ananthapuri FM; 101.9 MHz) station for the city.
The first private FM channel, "Radio DC" has commenced operations recently.
There are over 18 cinema halls which screen films in Malayalam, Tamil, English
and Hindi. There are also two film studios in the city, Chithranjali and
Merryland. The Kinfra Film and Video Park is located near Technopark and is one
of the most advanced film and animation production facilities in India. Leading
firms like Prasad Labs have their facilities here. The International Film
Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is held in November/December every year and is
acknowledged as one of the leading such events in India.
The basic telephone services are provided by BSNL, Reliance and Tata Indicom.
The cellular networks operating in the city are BSNL CellOne, Airtel, Idea
Cellular, Hutch (all GSM) and also Reliance and Tata Indicom (both CDMA). The
number of mobile phone connections has increased exponentially since the late
90s. Major broadband internet services are provided by BSNL DataOne, Asianet
Dataline and Siti Cable. Private providers like Relaince, VSNL, Airtel and
Satyam also have their presence in the city. The major dial-up internet
providers are BSNL NetOne, Kerala Online and KelNet among others.
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum also holds the distinction of having been the
first 100% Digital SSA(Secondary Switching Area) in India.
Sports in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
The most popular sports are Football and Cricket. Basketball, Badminton and
Volleyball are also popular, mostly in schools. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA)
is Head Quartered in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum. The HQ complex of KCA, have
advance facilities including two practice turfs with nets, bowling machines,
gymnasium with multi-gym and equipment for aerobic training, lecture hall and
library, an astro-turf indoor coaching facility, fully furnished accommodation
for coaches and players, a physiotherapy clinic, functional office facilities
and guest rooms. KCA has decided to establish an international cricket stadium
in the city suburbs. The Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium is a prominent football
stadium and has hosted both national and international level matches. The
University Stadium has hosted two international cricket matches. This stadium is
under University of Kerala and is equipped with synthetic tracks for athletics
games. The city also holds the Central stadium which has facilities for
athletics, football, basketball, volleyball and cricket practice nets for
upcoming cricketers. The Jimmy George Sports Complex, the GV Raja Sports School
and Lakshmi Bhai National College for Physical Education (LNCPE) are the other
major sports establishments in the city. The city also has a Golf Club, one of
the oldest in India, and a Tennis Club (Trivandrum Tennis Club/TTC) both located
at Kawdiar. The city fields two football clubs SBT-Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
and Titanium, in the second division of the National Football League. The city
also holds a fully equipped modern swimming pool located near the Jimmy George
Sports Complex at Vellayambalam. Many state level and national level swimming
competitions are held in this facility. It also holds coaching camps for people
interested in learning swimming.
Strategic Importance of Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
Apart from being the capital of India’s most literate and socially developed
state, Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum is a strategically important city in
Southern India. Being the largest city in India’s deep south, it is important
for both military logistics and civil aviation in the southern part of the
country. It is the headquarters of the Southern Air Command(SAC) of the Indian
Air Force. The city is very close to the international shipping route and
East-West shipping axis. Also, it falls under the international air route. Due
to the strategic importance of the city, the Indian Air Force authorities have
planned to make an aerospace command in SAC. The plan for setting up a new
"Tri-Service Command", which will integrate all the three forces under a single
command, is also in the pipeline.
Being the Indian city with the closest air link to the small island-country of
Maldives and also Sri Lanka, the city’s medical and health infrastructure caters
to patients from both countries, especially Maldives. Exports of perishables and
medicines from Trivandrum International Airport run to full capacity on everyday
flights to Maldives and Sri Lanka because of this nearness. Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
also provides a key link in movement of goods and passengers to and from
southern Tamilnadu into Kerala, the state border being just 30 km away. The city
is also important for people from around the world seeking help through Ayurveda
medicine and therapy. Ayurveda resorts are coming up at a rapid pace along the
International Beach of Kovalam and Varkala coast.
For more Info refer
* The Complete Directory for Trivandrum
* Official District website Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum
* Public Relations Department Page on Trivandrum/Thiruvananthapuram
* Government of Kerala Web page on Thiruvananthapuram
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