Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram (Malayalam pronunciation: [t̪iɾuʋənən̪d̪ɐˈbuɾəm] tirr-ROO-və-nun-Tə-poor-əm), also known as Trivandrum, is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 km2, making it the most populous city in Kerala. The larger Thiruvananthapuram metropolitan area has over 1.7 million inhabitants within an area of 543 km2, making it the second-most populous metropolitan area in Kerala after Kochi. Thiruvananthapuram is one of the few cities in India that serves as a state capital and is also centre for heritage, maritime activities, information technology, research and development, space research, defence, automotive technology, and biosciences. It is also among the few cities in the world where both an international airport and an international seaport are located within the city in close proximity to the city centre. Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a port city located 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) from a heavily trafficked east–west shipping channel. The city is home to India's first deep-water trans-shipment port, the Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram. The city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills. Thiruvananthapuram is also known for its cultural heritage, being associated with the musical contributions of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma and the artistic legacy of painter Raja Ravi Varma. Thiruvananthapuram has contributed to the development of Malayalam literature through individuals like Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, Kumaran Asan, C. V. Raman Pillai and Narayana Guru. The city is also known for Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, known as the richest temple in the world. The other temples includes the Sreevaraham temple, the Shreekanteswaram temple and the Attukal Bhagavathy temple. The present regions that constitute Thiruvananthapuram were ruled by the Ays who were related to feudatories...