Trivandrum
(2001 est. pop. 745,000). Trivandrum, or Thiruvananthapuram as it is now officially called, is the capital of the state of Kerala, India. Thiru-Anantha-puram means the "abode of the sacred thousand-headed serpent Anantha," who forms the couch on which reclines Lord Vishnu, the preserver. Built on seven hills, Trivandrum has grown as a major tourist destination in recent times, as it is close to many fine beaches. The city covers an area of 74 square kilometers and is located in the extreme south of Kerala on the Arabian Sea.
Historically, Trivandrum was part of the territory ruled by the Ay kings up to the tenth century CE. The rulers of Venad concentrated their power in the southern part of Kerala and by the eighteenth century their control extended over the region between Trivandrum and Cape Comorin. The name also reflects the city's best-known temple, Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, dedicated to Padmanabha, or Lord Vishnu. In 1750 Marthanda Varma, the ruler of Travancore, dedicated the entire state to the deity of the temple.
The modern city is known for the high literacy rate of its population, as a regional center for music and the arts, and as the locale of India's first space center, now a tourist attraction.
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