The capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram also known as Trivandrum is known for its rolling low coastal hills and busy business alleys. The political nerve centre of Kerala it has several Central and State Government offices. It is also home to several prestigious educational, science, technology and research institutions such as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Technopark and the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER).
The city built on seven hills is named after the fabled serpent God 'Anantha' on whom Sri Anantha Padmanabhan (Lord Vishnu) reclines. The Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple here is 2000 years old. Thiruvananthapuram also known as Trivandrum, had trading links with the rest of the world from as early as 1000 BC.
Thiruvananthapuram continues to be an important trading centre with several communication links to Maldives, Sri Lanka and countries to the West of the Arabian Sea. The city has numerous places of interest and offers all that a tourist seeks.