Thiruvananthapuram, Capital city in Kerala, India
Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital of Kerala on the southwestern coast of India, sitting between the Arabian Sea and wooded hills inland. Streets run through neighborhoods filled with low buildings, temples and modern shops sitting among coconut palms and tropical trees, while the coastline stretches along sandy beaches next to fishing villages.
The settlement became a royal capital in the 18th century when the ruler of Travancore moved his seat here. It remained the administrative center of the region through British colonial rule and continued after Indian independence.
Daily life includes morning prayers at neighborhood temples and fresh flower vendors sell jasmine garlands along sidewalks throughout the day. Malayalam is the mother tongue heard everywhere in markets and local shops where people haggle over vegetables and spices.
The central area can be explored on foot if you walk early morning or late afternoon to avoid the strongest heat. Auto-rickshaws go everywhere and work well for longer distances between different parts of town.
Several research institutes for space technology and biotechnology operate here and attract scientists from across India. Visitors often see young people with lab equipment sitting in buses and cafes around these facilities.
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