Heritage Walks in Trivandrum

Trivandrum is compact enough to read on foot, and the events below are refreshed daily with guided walks, talks and museum programmes. Three areas carry most of the history. The Fort, entered through the East Fort gate, holds the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple with its gopuram and tank, Kuthiramalika Palace with its 122 carved horses, the old agraharam streets and the entrance to Chalai bazaar. Palayam shows the city's other face: a mosque, a cathedral and a Ganapathy temple standing together, Connemara Market, the 1896 Victoria Jubilee Town Hall and the university's old buildings. And the Museum quarter has Robert Chisholm's Napier Museum of 1880, the zoo gardens and Kanakakunnu Palace on its hill. Guided walks are organised by volunteer groups and heritage enthusiasts, typically on weekend mornings, with themes such as the Fort's streets, the city's trees, old markets or Travancore's architecture; INTACH's local chapter and history departments also run occasional talks and trails. The calendar has its own moving heritage: the Arattu processions to Shanghumugham, the Navaratri idol procession from Padmanabhapuram and Attukal Pongala. Day trips reach the rock-cut cave at Vizhinjam and the Koyikkal Palace museum at Nedumangad. Entry to the temple is restricted to Hindus in traditional dress, but its streets are open to all.