Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala is a historically rich destination and a walking tour is the best way to experience its traditional surroundings. Plan a heritage tour in this capital city so that you will be able to explore its cultural, architectural and social history. This is the best way to discover the different facets of this culturally rich city. Many free walking tours are conducted early on Sunday mornings and just rise early to join one of them. These tours usually start at 7 am.
One of the main points of interest in Thiruvananthapuram is the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. In fact, your visit to this city will not be completed without enjoying the beauty of this wealthy religious institution in the world. You will also love to explore the beautiful nearby fort. The vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple are estimated to hold gold, Gems and antiques worth $20 billion. Only Hindus are allowed to enter this temple and you need to follow a dress code if you wish to get inside the shrine.
Your heritage tour also takes you to the Kuthira Malika Palace, also known as the Puthen Malika which is only a few hundred meters away from the main entrance of the temple. There is a museum inside it which houses several artifacts belonging to the former royal members of Travancore. This palace opens from 8.30 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 5.30 pm and remains closed on Mondays. No footwear or camera allowed inside the palace.
The government museum is another great place to get a touch of history. You will appreciate its tree-filled environment and this museum complex contains a few museums, an art gallery and a zoo. Each visitor shall admire not only the collection of historical and archaeological artifacts of this museum but also its mélange of architectural styles. The government museum in Thiruvananthapuram is open from 10 am to 5 pm from all days except on Wednesdays. It opens from 1 pm to 5pm on Wednesdays and closed on Mondays.
The nearby Sree Chitra Art Gallery will be your next stop where you can enjoy paintings of world famous artists like Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas and Svetoslav Roerich. This art gallery is also remains closed on Mondays and open from 10 am to 5 pm except on Wednesdays.
A trip to the Keralam Museum of History and Heritage is another best place to enjoy a booster dose of history. Located just opposite to the main museum complex, this point of interest in the capital city houses many collection include sculptures of bronze, wood, and stone, Roman coins, stone axes from Neolithic Age and a bowl and jar used in Iron Age. This museum closed on Mondays and all public holidays but opens from 10 am to 5 pm on all other days.
You can round off your heritage tour in Thiruvananthapuram after enjoying a Koodiyattom or Kathakali performance at the Margi Theatre. It is a well known cultural organization in the city that promotes performing classical art forms of Kerala. Although there are regular performances of classical art forms in this theater throughout the year, it is wise to give them a call to find out what conducts there on that day (margitheatre.org; 0471-2478806/2473349).