This city and district are popularly known by its anglicized name - Trivandrum. Trivandrum boasts of foremost R&D institutions of national and international importance such as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and India's first technology park and among the two largest IT parks in India today - Technopark, Trivandrum. Technopark is the IT hub of the State of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram is famed in the educational sector too, prominent examples being the College of Engineering (CET), Trivandrum and Trivandrum International School. CET is the largest engineering college in Kerala and one of the biggest in India. Trivandrum International School is Kerala's first and only authentic International school with International curriculum, faculty, learning environment and facilities.

Thiruvananthapuram, a hub for Ayurvedic treatments and Yoga, is regarded as a major Indian healthcare and tourism destination. The city is fast emerging as a global destination for medical tourists with major Thiruvananthapuram hospitals such as the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Thiruvananthapuram including medical tourism in their agenda. Trivandrum Medical College, founded in 1951, is one of the premier medical colleges of India.

The city derives its name from the deity at the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, a major landmark. The word Thiru Ananthapuri, means the city of Anantha or the abode of the sacred thousand-headed serpent Anantha, who forms the couch on which reclines Lord vishnu, the preserver in the Trinity of Hindu gods The historical importance of the city and this temple can be gauged from the fact that in 1750 when it was the capital of the Venad chieftains of the erstwhile state of Travancore, its renowned ruler Maharajah Marthanda Varma dedicated the entire state to the deity of the temple. It was only as servants of the deity that the King and his successors held possessions as well as the right to rule. Built on seven hills, and liberally covered with the green of low-lying paddy fields and coconut palms, Trivandrum has not lost this holy glory, having accepted diverse and religious traditions in its warm and hospitable embrace.

Roads:

The N.H.47 stretches from Parassala at the southern extremity to Paripally in the north, covering a distance of 80kms within the district. The State Highway (MC Road) covers a distance of 55Kms and passes through Kesavadaspuram, Vembayam, Venjaramoodu , Kilimanoor and Nilamel in the north. PWD maintains about 1552 kms of road in the district. Local bodies maintain 9500 kms of road.

District Panchayat:

Thiruvananthapuram district has 84 grama panchayats, 12 block panchayats, one district panchayat, four muncipalities and one corporation. The District Panchayat president is also chairman of the district rural development agency and the district planning committee. Parliamentary / Assembly constituencies

There are two Parliamentary and 14 Assembly constituencies in the district There are four taluks, namely Thiruvananthapuram, Neyyatinkara, Nedumangadu and Chirayinkeezhu, each headed by a tahsildar. There are 116 villages in the district.

BASIC STATISTICS:

	
                    Number  of taluks				4
                    Number of  villages				116
                    Villages in Trivandrum taluk			31
                    Villages in Neyyatinkara taluk			29
                    Villages in Nedumangad taluk			28
                    Villages in Chirayinkeezhu taluk		28
                    Number of block panchayats			12
                    Number of gram  panchayats			84
                    Gram panchayats in Athiyanoor block		7
                    Gram panchayats in  Parassala block		6
                    Gram panchayats in Perumkadavila block		9
                    Gram panchayats in Thiruvananthapuram block	4
                    Gram panchayats in Kazhakuttam block		7
                    Gram panchayats in Vellanad block		8
                    Gram panchayats in Nedumangad block		5
                    Gram panchayats in Vamanpuram block		8
                    Gram panchayats in Nemom block			8
                    Gram panchayats in Kilimanoor block		8
                    Gram panchayats in Chirayinkeezhu block		7
                    Gram panchayats in Varkala block		7
                    

PLACES OF WORSHIP

Tourist Information

Thiruvananthapuram has a well developed internal transport system. Taxis are available all over the city for local use and longer excursions. Since Thiruvanathapuram is not a very large city and distances are comparatively small, the auto-rickshaw is the most popular transport for city commuting.

Thiruvananthapuram also has an efficient bus service that covers all parts of Thiruvanathapuram and its suburbs. The fares for the city bus services are very nominal. The Thiruvananthapuram Central Bus Station is situated adjacent to the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station at Thampanoor. There are super fast, express and deluxe bus services from Thiruvananthapuram to all cities in Kerala as well as to the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The City Bus Station is located at East Fort. It is around 1.5 km from the Central Bus Station. The Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station is just east of M G Road. For general railway inquiries, dial 131 and for reservations 132.

Offices are open for business from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Shops are usually open from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm although some shops remain open till 10.00 pm.

For Visa Extensions, contact the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Phone: 0471-2320555.

                    International Dial Code: 91
                    Thiruvananthapuram Area Code: 471