Tourist Attractions in Thiruvananthapuram:
Also known as Trivandrum, the city of Thiruvananthapuram offers several tourist attractions to be visited. Some of them are discussed below:

Padmanabhaswami Temple:
Padmanabhaswami Temple is one of the main tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram. The striking feature of this massive temple is the 100 feet high tower (Gopuram). Dedicated to Lord Vishnu this temple has an 18 feet tall statue of the Lord and is believed to be one of the 108 most revered shrines among the Vaishnavites in India. The temple is celebrated for its Arattu festival, which is till date conducted by the royal family of Travancore. Observatory:
Located 60 meters above sea level and positioned on a hill near the Museum, the Observatory was built over a hundred years ago. One of the oldest of its kind in India, it has a well maintained garden particularly with a beautiful rose collection.

Sri Chitra Art Gallery:
Located within the premises of the Government Art Museum, it proves to be a perfect place for art connoisseurs. It preserves the art collections of the ruling Travancore family, and also is home to an interesting and rare variety of Rajasthani and Mughal miniatures, Bengali School paintings, Tanjore paintings and a lovely collection of works by a Russian emigrant, Svetosku Roerich and by Kerala�s favorite artist son, Raja Ravi Varma.

A trip to Thiruvananthapuram in India is imperfect without a boat cruise down its charming backwaters. Sailing through the green waters past the palm and bamboo groves, tiny villages and innocent faces of people is really a worth while experience.

Excursions from Thiruvananthapuram (India):
Veli and Shankhumuggam are the two neighboring places worth visiting in Thiruvananthapuram. The former has been molded into a wonderful tourist village while the latter is home to some lovely temples and a massive statue of a mermaid that is at present being worked upon by a renowned sculptor.

The Kovalam Beach at barely 18 km away Thiruvananthapuram is a must visit option for tourists. Acclaimed as one of the excellent in the world it serves as an ideal holiday excursion option from Thiruvananthapuram. Apart from swimming, you can avail of the opportunities for surfing and water skiing.

Festivals of Thiruvananthapuram:
Onam which is celebrated in August or September is the principal festival of this city and one of the main Thiruvananthapuram tourist attractions. It is actually the harvest festival of Thiruvananthapuram and implies a strong association of the people with agriculture. Christmas is the other festival celebrated widely in this part of the country. Classical Music Festival is held from 27th January to 3rd February each year and is a wonderful opportunity for the lovers of pure classical music forms such as Carnatic and Hindustani music in Thiruvananthapuram, India.

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