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Padmanabha Swamy Temple
The temple is located inside the East Fort. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. It is known for its mural paintings and stone carvings.
Kovalam
This internationally renowned beach resort has been a favourite haunt of tourists since the 1930s. Kovalam consists of three adjacent crescent beaches. The southernmost, known as the Lighthouse Beach, in the most popular Kovalam offers accomodation options to suit all budgets.
Vizhinjam rock cut Cave
There are rocks cut sculptures of the 18th century in the cave temple at Vizhinjam. The granite cave here encloses a one celled shrine with a loose sculpture of Vinandhara Dakshinamurthy. The outer wall of the cave depicts half complete reliefs of the Hindu God Shiva with Goddess Parvathi.
Ponmundi
An idyllic hill resort with narrow, winding pathways and cool, green, wooded environs, Ponmudi is located 915 metres above sea level. Along with a variety of beautiful mountain flowers, exoctic butterflies, small rivulets, springs and the deer park nearby, this hill station also has excellent trekking trails.
Veli Tourist Village
This picnic spot where the Veli lake meets the Arabian Sea, offers Boating facilities. Pedalboats and paddle boats can be hired to explore the charms of the lagoon in a leisurely manner. For a quick ride over the waters, speedboats are available for hire.
The Kanakakunnu Palace
The palace and its sprawling grounds are today the venue for many cultural meets and programmes.
Varkala
Varkala is a seaside resort and spa. It is also an important Hindu centre of pilgrimage. The final resting place of the great social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru, is near Varkala, atop a hill called Sivagiri. The 2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple and the Nature Care Centre are the two main attractions here.
Shree Chitbra art Gallery
It displays select paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, Svetlova and Nicholas Reorich and exquisite works from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of art in India. The collection also includes paintings from China, Japan, Tibet and Bali.
Shankhumugham Beach
Just 8 kms from the city, this is a favourite haunt of sunset watchers. The beach is adjacent to the Thiruvananthapuram Airport and Veli Tourist Village. An indoor recreation club, the matsya Kanyaka ( a gigantic, 35 m long sculptures of a mermaid) and a resturant shaped like a starfish are some of the attractions here.
