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Place
to Visit: Trivandrum
The area of historical interest in
the city is the Fort, at the southern end of M.G.Road, which
encloses the famous Shri Padmanabhaswamy Vishnu Temple. The fort
gateway leads to the temple, which is surprisingly enough, in the Dravidian
style of architecture, typical of Tamil Nadu. The temple enshrines, and is
dedicated, to the presiding deity of Thiruvananthapuram, Lord Vishnu. It was
constructed by a Maharaja of Travancore, in 1733. The temple is open only to
Hindus. The city derives its name from this temple, as the deity i.e Lord
Vishnu, is shown as reclining on his serpent, Anantha.
The Museum,
Zoo, and the park they are located are in, are quite popular with the local
people and tourists. The Napier Museum is housed in a striking
building, and has a good collection of bronzes, ivory carvings, ancient
musical instruments and life-size figures of Kathakali dancers. The art
collection at the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, contains paintings of the
Mughal, Tanjore and Rajput schools and a special section, devoted
exclusively to the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. There are, also, works of
art from China, Bali, Tibet and Japan. The Zoological Gardens are,
said to be, among the most well-planned zoos in Asia. The Botanical
Garden within the zoo, houses specimens of almost every tropical tree
existing. The Observatory, located on the highest point of the city,
is one of the impressive architectural landmarks of Thiruvananthapuram.
