A day in Thiruvanathapuram: the abode of Lord Anantha

In the month of January, our family took a long spiritual odyssey through South India and we visited some amazing destinations of religious/spiritual importance.

It was a momentous trip for me and helped me make some important decisions on my present & future(more on that later though!!)

We started our journey in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state. 
The city of Thiruvananthpuram is the capital of Kerala state; the city’s history back to 1000 BCE.  The city gets its name from the word, Thiru-anantha-puram, meaning the "Abode of Lord Ananta".The name derives from the deity of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple at the centre of the city. It is the most famous landmark and also the centre of the city around which the whole city has been planned.

We had one full day to spend in this city and here’s how we utilized our 24 hours: -

 

1. Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple Darshan – Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple gave its name this city also  and based on the temple’s name, the city is also known as Anandapuram (City of Bliss) and Syananduram (Where Bliss is not far off).  This temple of Vishnu reclining on Anantha remains the iconic landmark of the city. It is estimated that the value of the monumental items and assets of the temple partially revealed are close to 100,000 crore (US$22 billion), making it the richest temple in the world.It was a long queue even in early morning at the temple, and took us almost 1 hour to see the deity. However, it was all worth the wait. The statue of the lord looked resplendent and we felt a divine grace upon us in the lord’s presence.

2. Breakfast at Indian Coffee House – Indian Coffee House is an iconic restaurant chain in India and in this city, it’s got a quirky building too!!

After our morning darshan , it was time for some food and we headed straight to the ICF housed in red spiral building. It is an experience eating out here, for one thing, the tables are numbered and wind up as one walks up the spiral walkway. The waiters in their colonial uniforms complete with turbans are sight to watch.

3.Padmanabhapuram Palace and Kuthiramalika Palace Museum – Both the Palace and museum are located adjacent to each other, which are in turn located adjacent to Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple.    

4. Napier Museum - The Napier Museum built during the colonial India by the Travancore Kings is housing rare bronze and ivory artifacts. The Sree Chitra Art Gallery, Museum of natural History and Trivandrum Zoo are located in the premises of the Napier Museum. So, one can spend a lot of time at this museum.

5. Kovalam Beach – It is one of the most famous beaches in kerala and truly so. One feels a sense of calm watching the waves and feeling wind on the skin. 

Walking by the beach and watching the sun set, we felt that there could not have a better end to the day!!!

And so ended (rather started )the spiritual journey in the abode of Lord Anatha!!