Page 632 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

630  SOUTH INDIA

1 Thiruvananthapuram detailing the principles of
its construction.
Kerala’s capital, known until 1991 as Trivandrum, was the The Kanakakunnu Palace,
seat of the former royal family of Travancore from 1750 to where the Travancore royal
1956. The magnificent Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple family once entertained their
has given the city its name, Thiruvan anthapuram – literally guests, is adjacent to the
complex, on top of a hill.
the “Holy City of Anantha”, the sacred thousand-headed A short drive down the road
serpent on whom Vishnu reclines. The city is built across from the complex leads to
seven hills, and its old quarter clusters around the temple, Kowdiar Junction, a round­
while along busy Mahatma Gandhi Road are colonial about of walls and ornate
mansions, churches and modern high-rises. railings facing the Kowdiar
Palace, the former maharaja’s
official residence.

The Napier Museum, built in the 19th century
E Government Arts and the territories of the former
Crafts (Napier) Museum kingdom of Travancore.
Museum Rd. Closed Mon, Wed am To the north of the Museum,
& public hols for all museums. is the Shri Chitra Art Gallery, A painting by Raja Ravi Varma in
& covers all museums. Kanakakunnu housed in a beautiful building Sri Chitra Art Gallery
Palace: Tel (0471) 231 4615. that incorporates the best
Located in a well­planned elements of local architecture. Mahatma Gandhi Road
compound is a complex of The pride of its collection are The city’s main road runs from
museums and the city’s zoo. the works of Raja Ravi Varma the Victoria Jubilee Town Hall
The Government Arts and Crafts (1848–1906) and his uncle Raja to the Anantha Padmanabha­
Museum, earlier known as Raja Varma, both pioneers of swamy Temple. Among the
the Napier Museum, after John a unique academy style of many impressive buildings that
Napier, a former governor of painting in India. Raja Ravi line this road are the Secre tariat,
Madras, is in a red­and­black Varma was considered the finest headquarters of the state
brick Indo­Saracenic structure, Indian artist of his time, and his government, the University
designed by Robert Fellowes mythological paintings have College and the Public Library.
Chisholm (see p573) in the inspired the popular religious The latter, founded in 1829,
19th century. It exhibits a rare prints found in many Indian has a collection of more than
collection of bronzes, stone homes. The Natural History 250,000 books and documents
sculptures, exquisite ivory Museum, to the east, has a fine in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and
carvings and a temple chariot, replica of a typical Kerala Nair Sanskrit. To the north, beyond
all of which were fashioned in wooden house, naluketu, the charming Connemara
Market, are the Jama Masjid,
St Joseph’s Cathedral and
Martial Arts of Kerala the Neo­Gothic building of
Constant warfare in the 11th century Christ Church.
gave rise to kalaripayattu, Kerala’s martial
arts. From it emerged two streams – the  Anantha Padmanabha­
chavverpada, suicide squads, and the swamy Temple
chekavan, warriors who fought duels to Fort area. Tel (0471) 246 4606.
the death, in order to settle the nobility’s Closed to non­Hindus. Special rules
disputes. Students learn to use weapons for clothing apply (see p738).
such as swords, spears, daggers, the urumi,
(a flexible metal sword) and wooden poles. Located within the fort that
In the final stage, the student is taught encircles the old town, this is
Kalaripayattu practice, CVN how to defeat an opponent by applying the only temple in the state
Kalari Sangham pressure to nerve points. with a towering seven­storey
gopura, which is commonly
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p703 and pp718–19

630-631_EW_India.indd 630 26/04/17 11:49 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
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Date 25th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm