General Information / History
the capital of Kerala derived its name from the abode of the sacred snake-god 'anantha' or Adisesha. Great rulers like Marthanda Varma, Swathi Thirunal, Moolam Thirunal had ruled over here for many years.

Sightseeing

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 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.

Napier Museum
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.

Sri Chitra Art Gallery
The Gallery consists of 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.

Excursions: Veli Lagoon, Kovalam beach (15 km), Nayyar Dam (29 km), Ponmudi ( 61km), Kollam (66 km)