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Trivandrum Beckons You

It is often referred to as the Kashmir of the South. Trivandrum, with its sun-kissed sands, golden beaches and the dominating emerald green of its palm trees, remains a very popular tourist destination for Indians and foreign nationals. Enjoy a ride through the prismatic splendour of this wonderful land.

Situated near the southern-most tip of India and washed by the rough Arabian Sea, Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram) is the capital of Kerala - the land carved out by the axe of Parasuram, the legendary warrior.

Trivandrum or the City of the Endless Serpent has a cluster of popular temples surrounding it. The city is dominated by the temple of Padmanabhaswamy or quite literally the 'Lord with the Lotus Navel'. A powerful deity clost to Trivandrum is that of Janardhana and about 25 to 30 miles away of "Sivagiri" which was founded by Sri Narayana Guru, a great social reformer with a secular outlook. A testimony to the secular nature of Trivandrum can be found in the heart of the city - Palayam - where a temple, a church and a mosque are located next to one another.

The Royal Family was held in very high esteem during the heyday of the Travancore State. People used to believe that the Maharaja and the Maharani were next only to the local diety, Lord Padmanabha. Swati Tirunal, one of the Maharajas of Travancore, composed songs in several languages and left a rich musical legacy.

He is remembered to this day on the occasion of the Navrathri festival, when eminent musicians sing his compositions on al the nine days of the festival.

A drive down Mahatma Gandhi road, will see you cut through the heart of modern Trivandrum city which still bears the unmistakable stamp of the British era. On either side of the road are impressive buildings of the colonial times - the Public library, College of Fine Arts, the Victoria Jubilee Town Hall and the Secretariat. The Napier Museum is an exceptional building, combining indigenous architectural styles with European methods. The museum is housed within a large complex which also includes the Sri Chitra Gallery, the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens. What is worth taking a look at are the paintings of Raja Ravi Verma (1848-1906). Ravi Verma was best known for his dramatic scenes from Hindu epics and the largest collection of his work can be found in the Sri Chitra Art Gallery.

Trivandrum is home to some leading scientific and technological institutions like the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the Centre for Earth Science Studies and a museum dedicated exclusively to science and technology. In fact, India's pioneering efforts in space exploration began at Thumba, not far from the city.

The Chala Bazaar-the old market area of Trivandrum-still retains its traditional charm. Jewellery and cloth stores, fresh fruit and flower stalls, fish and vegetable markets co-exist cheek-by-jowl.

Trivandrum is a major tourist centre and with its beautiful beaches, temples and buildings it is not hard to see why.

WEATHER AT TRIVANDRUM

PERUMATHURA

Situated 29 kilometers north of Trivandrum is a tiny village called Perumathura. It is 23 Kilometers from the Trivandrum international airport (20 minutes drive), 29KM from Trivandrum railway station and bus stations. National highway #47 is 10Kilometers away. Perumathura is sorrounded by the Kadinamkulam Kayal in the east, The Arabian Sea in the west, The 'Muthala Pozhi' in the north and by 'Puthencurichy' in the west. Perumathura forms part of the Chirayinkil and Azhoor panchayats of Trivandrum district.

History

The history of Perumathura dates back from the period of the Legendary King Cheraman Perumal who ruled South India during the 8th century A.D. The name Perumathura (meaning residence of Perumal) was derived from the Late Kings name. It is beleived that Cheraman Peruamal converted to Islam during his stay at Perumathura. The mainland Perumathura and it's sorrounding islands - Kottaramthuruthu, Cheramanthuruthu and Madanvila are all related in one way or another to Cheraman Perumal.

The present scenario

The present population of Peruamthura is around 8000, 95% of them belonging to the Islamic community. This is due to the effect of Cherman Perumal's conversion to islam. 4% are follower's of the Christian faith and the balance worship the Hindu gods. The economy of Perumathura mostly depends on the income generated by the people working in the Arabian Gulf States. Other sources of income include from the traditional cottage industry of coir manufacturing, fishing, trading, coconut farming etc. Coir is manufactured from coconut husk which after a cubersome process is transfomed into variety of coir products. The coir products are sold mainly to the coir mills of Alappuzha & Cochin from where it is exported to many countries.

The major institutions in the government/private sector of Perumathura include:

Government Allopathic Hospital
Goverment Homeopathic Dispensary
The Federal Bank Ltd.
The Chirayinkil Co-operative Bank Ltd.
The Government Lower Primary School
The Government Upper Primary School
Al-Fajr English Medium School
Telephone Exchange
Post Office

Perumathura boasts of 100% literacy. A good percent of them are well eduacted and are well placed in the government and private sector. Perumathura has many firsts to its credit including the first Muslim doctor from Kerala.

As like in other parts of Kerala, the people of Perumathura are politically conscious. They are divided into two traditional rival parties - The Indian National Congress & The Communist Marxist Party. Many leaders of these political parties are of Perumathura origin.

What to see

Nature has endowed lavishly to the beauty of Perumathura. The golden sand beaches, Muthala pozhi, the backwaters, the traditional way of ladies spinning coir, the coconut groves, coconut trees with multiple trunks, snake boats and 'kettuvallams' are the most important attractions. Most of the tourists arriving on chartered flights to Trivandrum are taken to visit Perumathura, a place free of environmental pollutions. So come to Perumathura, to savour the simple, clean life and the rich scenic beauty with which God has so lavishly endowed this land.

Future developments

Plans are afoot to convert the 'Muthala Pozhi' to a fishing harbour. Once this materializes, Perumathura will be beehive of fishing activities. It will be connected to the Vizhinjam port by waterways. It will be a major thrust in the development of Perumathura. Buisiness is expected to increase tenfold after the the commissioning the fishing port. Ample oppurtunities await people with the vision for a future to utilise this development.

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