Things to do in Poojappura

Poojappura, a residential neighbourhood about 4 km east of Thampanoor, takes its name from the pooja that Travancore's rulers once performed here at Navaratri. The Saraswathy Mandapam and the open ground beside it remain the city's best-known Navaratri venue, with nine evenings of music and dance, a fairground with rides and food stalls, and long queues of families on Vijayadashami morning for vidyarambham, when children are initiated into writing. Outside the festival, the ground and the park next to it host exhibitions, children's sports and neighbourhood programmes, and the convention halls towards Edapazhanji and Jagathy take weddings, expos and association meets.