thrichur pooram

biggest event in kerala

Thiruvananthapuram

hi friends,

It’s about a beautiful place where I was born lucky!!!… Thiruvananthapuram, alias Trivandrum. Some news writers call it Ananthapuri. Yes, starting from the Sripadmanabhaswami kshethram (Temple) in the heart of the city of shesha-nagam, Thiruvananthapuram is a small city with its own problems and pleasant surprises.

Not very far away from Sri Padmanabha kshethram is Pazhavangadi Kovil (Temple). It is from where Pazhavangadi Ganapatikku thenga adichu comes!!!. Close by is Rajadhani complex, a combination of buildings which include, jewlry shops, kalyanamandapams,garment shops (Ramachandra complex or street!!!) and hotels. And right in front of all this is the oft spoken East Fort bus stand. Opposite to it lies, chalai market, gandhi park and the legendry putharikkandom maithanom.

Thiruvananthapuram Railway station within the last 5 years did develop to some extend. Worthwhile mentioning that Thiruvananthapuram station is one of the cleanest stations I have seen. The reason is simple. Not many trains go beyond Thiruvananthapuram, and so the bulk of the population which is on the train to Thiruvananthapuram gets out of the station within minutes of the arrival of the train. Opposite to it is the central bus station, Thampanoor bus stand.

Next to it lies Spirally built indian coffee house, Srikumar & Srivishakh theatres and then Overbridge and SMV school . North of the railway station and on the eastern side of M G Road lies SS Kovil Road where all the tutorial colleges like Our College (They have a way of advertising themselves as Auwwar College) and Victory College and Model College and other one zillion colleges located.

From Overbridge to Secretariat, all along the M G Road are shops, which are the best businesses in Thiruvananthapuram. Triveni department store and Union Bank of India buildings are far away from the road and hence do not provide shade to the poor commuters waiting at Statue Junction. Here lies the Government Secreteriate, the power house of kerala state administration. It’s one of the main junction and the most crowded during day time….

Northern side of Government HQ is the Police Control Room. Next to that is the Accountant General‘s office where they never finish accounting for all the money that has been wasted by the sarkar, both central and state.

Spencer Junction and Canara Bank towers are famous landmarks, about 200 meters from Accountant General’s Office. They both are there only to provide more incentive for the Indian Coffee House goers!!!. Next to them are the Jacobite Church, called Spencer Pally. Opposite to it is the University College, which in all brochures will appear as “H. H. University College” (His Highness). Opposite to University College is the mysterious Sanskrit College. I never met anyone who knows anyone from Sanskrit College!!!.

If you are adamant of driving the vehicle straight on M.G.Road and not interested in taking turns, you are likely to land up in V J T Hall. (Victoria jubilee town hall). On the other side we can find Palayam Market and Saphalyam complex. Close by is a temple-mosque-church combination existing to indicate that Thiruvananthapuram was not communal once upon a time.

Ahead are the MLA Quarters and Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium (named after Chandrasekharan Nair, the retired I.G). In between there is Raktasakshimandapam and beow it there lies the so-called underpassage(we don’t know why it’s there!!!). Next to the MLA Quarters is the “Kerala University Senate”, Senate Hall. In front of it there is a statue of kumaran Asan, the legendry poet. Kerala University Library is near by.

Then we’ll go through a flyover which really is useful at presnt and for the future. While travelling through it we will see the new kerala legislative building. Opposite to it there is the university ground, then we’ll head towards Museum & kanakakkunnu palace. From Museum to Kowdiar is said to be one sector of Thiruvananthapuram which is beautiful, and often admired. That section does look like a state capital. There is a statue of Ayyankali, the dalit social reformer in the middle of vellayambalam junction where 4 roads meet. One from the city, one from Nedumangadu, one from Vattiyoorkavu and one from Karamana. Not to forget the G.V. Raja Stadium in memory of Colonel Goda Varma Raja, who introduced football to Thiruvananthapuram. The waterworks office and swimming pool is next to it.

The western part of Thiruvananthapuram is the Shanghumukam Beach, Airport, Veli, VSSC , Titanium Factory section where people go exclusively to spend leisure time, be it in the name of rocket or seeing the deep blue sea. This part is marked with long, straight roads .

Eastern part of Thiruvananthapuram includes Pappanamcodu, Karamana, Vazhuthakkadu, Pangodu (Military Camp), Idappazhinji(fish market) Poojappura,Thirumala section. This is a very large sector and has every right to be called as a city on its own. It has the SET, Tharangini studios, Central Jail, Police Commissioner Office, Film Development Corporation, Cotton Hill Girl’s High School(the largest girl’s school in Asia) Women’s College. Vazhuthakkad is a sector of modern day juliets.

Northeastern Part of Thiruvananthapuram is Shasthamangalam, Oolanpara, Perorkkada, right now i am staying at my amma’s home at kanjirampara which is on the way to Vattiyoorkkavu. I still don’t know why they haven’t made a bus station here. Malamukal, Aruvikkara, Cheriyakonni, Maylam, kachani, Vellaikkadavu, Ambalamukku, PTP nagar, Jawahar Nagar, etc..are also on this route. It has everything from the residences of ministers to Bhranthaashupatri(Assylum) to Hindustan Latex(n). PTP nagar was originally an Onam-kera-moola which turned out to be where the ministers flocked, and soon all the buses started running towards PTP Nagar, PTP stands for (poor) Pattom Thanu Pillai

Southern part of Thiruvananthapuram is Manacaud, Attukal, Kamaleshwaram, Thiruvallam, Pachaloor, Kovalam,vizhinjam, Vandithadam, koliyoor, Venganoor, Neyyatinkara, Balaramapuram, Parassala section. It is worth going to Kovalam once in a lifetime, the only place where white sand, black granite rocks and deep blue sea, are in harmony with the 50 billion tourists . Two of our homes are on this way, one at Ambalathara between Manacaud and Thiruvallam next to the MILMA(milk proucts) factory and one at Theatre junction(there are 2 theatres  Manu and Neelakanta) last bust stop before vizhinjam. It’s my father’s birthplace.

Northern part of Thiruvananthapuram is Pattom, Keshavadasapuram, Ulloor, Paruthippara, Nalanchira, Sreekaryam, Pongummoodu section. It is mostly residential like the northeastern and northwestern parts. However it has Kerala Public Service Commission Office to M.G. College, Mar Ivanios College, Karyavatoom Engineering College and the modern day Technopark. Northwestern part is Chakka, Kannanmoola, Medical College, Kumarapuram sector, or as we call it, the medical sector. Medical College, SUT and SAT, Cosmopolitan Hospital, G.G. Hospital, and one million other medical facitilies are located here. This is where doctors, who do private practice like Advocates near Vanchiyoor Court across the canal.

A description of Thiruvananthapuram is never complete if we miss main central part. The Model School, Arts College, Chengalchoola, Central Stadium section, it is perhaps the cradle of all student politics in Thiruvananthapuram.

This is Thiruvananthapuram. This is where I live. This is what I dream… Welcome to Thiruvananthapuram…

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