Onam is associated with the legendary king Mahabali (Maveli), who according to tradition and Puranas, ruled the Earth and several other planetary systems from Kerala. [169] The State Highway 1, which commonly known as the Main Central Road is an arterial highway in the city. Arabs also had trade links with Kerala, starting before the 4th century BCE, as Herodotus (484–413 BCE) noted that goods brought by Arabs from Kerala were sold to the Jews at Eden. [46] For the local administration, the empire was divided into provinces under the rule of Nair Chieftains known as Naduvazhis, with each province comprising a number of Desams under the control of chieftains, called as Desavazhis. [196] Thiruvananthapuram is one of the regional headquarters of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Laterisation is a result of the heavy rainfall and humid conditions. Sanskrit College, Ayurveda College, Law College and a second-grade college for women were started by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924).[39]. Organised expressions of discontent with British rule were not uncommon in Kerala. [88] The Wellington Water Works, commissioned in 1933, is one of the oldest city water supply schemes in India. In 1779, the Anglo-French war broke out, resulting in the French loss of Mahé, India. [16] The city is home to media institutions like Toonz India Ltd and Tata Elxsi Ltd, and is also home to Chitranjali Film Studio, one of the first film studios in Malayalam Cinema, and Kinfra Film and Video Park at Kazhakoottom, which is India's first Infotainment industrial park. Until the arrival of British, the term Malabar was used as a general name for Kerala. They became the most powerful king in the Malayalam speaking regions during the Middle Ages. Geography. [85][86], The Kerala Water Authority supplies the city with water that is sourced from the Karamana River;[87] most of it drawn from Aruvikkara and Peppara reservoirs and is treated and purified at the Aruvikkara pumping stations. [44] The king of Travancore, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1 July 1949 until 31 October 1956. [236][237] Other FM radio channels broadcast from Thiruvananthapuram are Big FM 92.7 MHz,[238] Club FM 94.3 MHz,[239] Radio Mirchi 98.3 MHz,[240] Red FM 93.5 MHz[238] and Radio DC 90.4 MHz.[241]. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was held here in 1938. The theoretical difference in the communist party, i.e. The dolmens of Marayur are a testimony of the stone age inhabitants. He was forced to shift his capital (c. CE 1405) further south. European trading interests of the Dutch, French and the British East India companies took centre stage during the colonial wars in India. [9][10] Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India",[11][1] the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills. The airport started operations from 1935 and is the first airport in Kerala. Ayurveda Hub. Padmanabha. On 1 July 1949, the two states were merged to form Travancore-Cochin. The corporation discharges its services through standing committees. Some groups choose to participate peacefully in electoralism, while some choose to aim for violent revolution. "The ‘Kudumbashree woman’ and the Kerala model woman: Women and politics in contemporary Kerala.". In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour, the Kochi. [2] Thiruvananthapuram's literacy rate of 93.72%[64] exceeds the all-India average of 74%. A series of attacks by the Pandyas between the 7th and 8th centuries caused the decline of Ays although the dynasty remained powerful until the beginning of the 10th century. Karnataka Rajyotsava or Karnataka Formation Day was also on November 1, 1956. Most people that speak Malayalam live in Kerala, in India. Veluthat, Kesavan. Kerala Floods 2018: Here are some facts, details, information and precautions to know while using a car amidst the floods in Kerala. The Sree Moolam Popular Assembly, established in 1904, was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. The greater part of the Muslim merchants of this place are so wealthy that one of them can purchase the whole freightage of such vessels put here and fit-out others like them". [40] Despite not being under the direct control of the British Empire at any time, the city featured prominently in India's freedom struggle. [107][108][109] The presence of natural attractions like beaches, backwaters, hills, and plantations and attractions like heritage, history, Ayurveda, medical tourism and knowledge centres attract many tourists. [45] A Keralite identity, distinct from the Tamils, became linguistically separate during this period. [5] Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016. [182][183] Vizhinjam seaport has been designated by the government as an authorised immigration check-post for entry and exit from India for international ships and cruises. Legends such as The Origin of Kerala tell the establishment of a local ruling family at Nediyiruppu, near present-day Kondotty by two young brothers belonging to the Eradi clan. "Jawaharlal Nehru and the smoking gun: Who pulled the trigger on Kerala's communist government in 1959?. [6] It is also mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. [28] Megasthanes, the Greek ambassador to the court of Magadhan king Chandragupta Maurya (4th century BCE) mentions Muziris and a Pandyan trade centre. Thiruvananthapuram has two parliamentary constituencies—Attingal and Thiruvananthapuram—and elects five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the state legislature. A special 2 km fun run is also organised for public participation. Diss. As the city is headquarters of the Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport caters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Coast Guard for their strategic operations. There are also private operators. Politics in Kerala is characterised by continually shifting alliances, party mergers and splits, factionalism within the coalitions and within political parties, and numerous splinter groups.[85]. The Monsoons (June-September and October-November) and summer (February-May) are the seasons markedly experienced here, while Winter is only a slight drop in temperature from the normal range of 28-32°C. [188] The schools are affiliated with The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Due to ideological differences the CPI-ML split into several groups. [24], Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient region with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE. The state universities are the University of Kerala and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University. [76] The Central Prison is the oldest prison in Kerala and the headquarters of Kerala prisons and correctional services. On 1 January 1950, Travancore-Cochin was recognised as a state. The contact with Romans might have given rise to small colonies of Jews and Syrian Christians in the chief harbour towns of Kerala. To add to the abundance of the variety in … Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese and North Indian cuisines, are popular. [162][163] TRCIP is a Public-private partnership project to improve and maintain the existing road network in the city to cater to the needs of rapid urbanisation. He also established the importance of monastic life as sanctioned in the Upanishads and Brahma Sutra, in a time when the Mimamsa school established strict ritualism and ridiculed monasticism. The opposition called on Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to seize control of the state government. India has the world’s largest Hindu population. Mysorean interlude The Portuguese Cemetery, Kollam (after the invasion of Dutch, it became Dutch Cemetery) of Tangasseri in Kollam city was constructed in around 1519 as part of the Portuguese invasion in the city. [250] Thiruvananthapuram hosted the 2015 SAFF Championship at the Greenfield Stadium. cites a stone inscription discovered at, Varier, M. R. Raghava. [4] The Urban Agglomeration had a population of 1,687,406 in 2011. Other major highways in the city are State Highway 2 and State Highway 45. Kerala is known for traditional arts and people enjoy traditional, percussion-filled music. Let us look at some of the interesting facts about Kerala. The encompassing urban agglomeration population is around 1.68 million. [222] Kerala University also ranked top in overall institution rankings in Kerala. [76] The remnants of St. Thomas Fort and Portuguese Cemetery still exist at Tangasseri. [9] These findings have been classified into Laterite rock-cut caves (Chenkallara), Hood stones (Kudakkallu), Hat stones (Toppikallu), Dolmenoid cists (Kalvrtham), Urn burials (Nannangadi) and Menhirs (Pulachikallu). His entire kingdom was then a land of immense prosperity and happiness. [127] Thiruvananthapuram has been a hub of classical music since the days of Maharaja of Travancore, Swathi Thirunal. [205] Apart from IIST and IISER, the other major engineering education institutions include College of Engineering, Trivandrum (CET), which is the first engineering college in Kerala,[206] Government Engineering College BartonHill (GEC), Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering (SCT), ER & DCI Institute of Technology, University College of Engineering, Mohandas college of Engineering and Technology and Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology. Is there any information of Simon Britto and whether he is a legislative assembly member? Their capital was at Kollam. [180], Small cruise ships often dock at Vizhinjam Harbour. The notable schools in the city include St. Mary's Higher Secondary School, which is considered as one of the largest schools in Asia, with the total number of students exceeding 12,000,[191][192] Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School, Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Holy Angel's Convent Trivandrum, SMV School, Trivandrum International School, Chinmaya Vidyalayas, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Loyola School, Christ Nagar School, Thiruvananthapuram, Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Nirmala Bhavan Higher Secondary School, Arya Central School, Jyothi Nilayam School, St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School, St. Thomas Residential School, The Oxford School and VSSC Central School. Maritime contacts In 1761 the British captured Mahé, India, and the settlement was handed over to the Rajah of Kadathanadu. The weakened Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch East India Company, who took advantage of continuing conflicts between Kozhikode and Kochi to gain control of the trade. [130], The Malayalam film Industry was started in Thiruvananthapuram. [93] Fire services are handled by the Kerala Fire And Rescue Services.[94]. Hyder Ali and his successor, Tipu Sultan, came into conflict with the British, leading to the four Anglo-Mysore wars fought across southern India in the latter half of the 18th century. [27][28] The city was the trading post of spices, sandalwood and ivory. It is the largest gathering of women in the world. Until the end of the 11th century, it was a small principality in the Ay Kingdom. Kerala is popular for Kalaripayattu, a martial arts form and Kathakali Kathakali, a Hindu performance art. [17], Being India's largest city in the deep south, it is strategically prominent and hosts the Southern Air Command headquarters of the Indian Air Force, the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station and the upcoming Vizhinjam International Seaport. [31] Contemporary Tamil literature, Puṟanāṉūṟu and Akanaṉūṟu, speak of the Roman vessels and the Roman gold that used to come to the Kerala ports in search of pepper and other spices, which had enormous demand in the West. [231][232][233] Prominent Direct-to-Home (DTH) entertainment services in Thiruvananthapuram include Sun Direct DTH, DD Direct+, Videocon d2h, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV, Airtel digital TV and Tata Sky. [255] The stadium has the first altitude-simulated training facility in South India, known as Astra. [268], This article is about the city. The city's golden age was during the mid-19th century under the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. Minor principalities [258] There will be two main races; a half marathon of 21 km and a full marathon of 42.19 km. For the district, see, Climate data for Thiruvananthapuram City (1981–2010, extremes 1901–2012). [59] The Venadu King then also was known as Venadu Mooppil Nayar. [128] The 111-day-long Soorya Festival is the biggest art and cultural event in Kerala. The average elevation of the city is 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea level. The first popularly elected ministry, headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai, was installed in office on 24 March 1948. Thiruvananthapuram also houses a large army cantonment in Pangode which houses some regiments of the Indian Army. British Period [125] Literary development is further aided by state institutions such as the State Central Library, one of the oldest public libraries in India, which was established in 1829,[126] and other major libraries including the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Central library, and the Kerala University Library. [199], The city houses several prominent legal education institutions. [212], The premier research institutes in Thiruvananthapuram includes, Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala (IIITMK),[213] National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH),[214] Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology,[215] Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-Dit),[216] Centre for Development Studies (CDS),[217] Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute,[218] National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS),[219] Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)[220] and Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library. [242] The city also hosted the first Twenty20 International cricket match in Kerala. Many Surfing and Stand Up Paddle tournaments organised in the city. The main museums include Kerala Science and Technology Museum (with its attached Priyadarsini Planetarium), Napier Museum, Kerala Soil Museum and Koyikkal Palace Museum. [32] Jews arrived in Kerala as early as 573 BCE. 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