Discover Kerala, India – 1 day guide to Trivandrum

1 day guide to discover India’s southern city of Trivandrum in Kerala.

We caught the night sleeper train from Goa to Kerala, right down to Trivandrum near the tip of Southern India… Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala, commonly shortened to Trivandrum as it was named when the colonials ruled the deep south. It’s a busy city in true Indian style, a fusion of old and new, but not a lot for international visitors to see.

The legendary Padmanabhaswamy Temple is the most significant heritage site, a place of Hindu pilgrimage and ancestral rites… Set beside the Lotus Spring pool, the distinctive seven tier ‘gopuram’ tower was built in 1566, although the origins may go back to 500 BC or earlier.

Only Hindus in strict Keralan dress (ladies in traditional sari and men the typical dhoties) are allowed through this gold-plated gateway and into the inner sanctum which hides unknown treasures and wealth.

Smiling faces on Trivandrum city beach

I tried to get a local bus to the city beach but it was impossible to make myself understood as the drivers don‘t speak English and the bus signs are written in Indian.  I gave up and got an auto-rickshaw.

Shanghumukham beach is wide, long and sandy, but unfortunately close to the airport runways. Popular with day tripping Indian families, there are stalls selling fruit or candy floss for the kids, food kiosks, a restaurant, coffee shop and not much more.

Juan and I walked southwards along the shore towards the old landmark pier in the distance. This is Valiyathura beach, a place where tourists don’t usually go and one of the most authentic places we saw in India.

The local fishermen and their families live in shacks with full sea views, their simple wooden boats hauled up on the sands…

On a typical afternoon the men are carefully mending the fine fishing nets, grandmothers and young women holding babies chat on their doorsteps, old men play cards with their friends or proudly look after their small grandchildren, and youths play football with makeshift goalposts.

The girls smiled and practiced their English with us, and the little boys showed off by somersaulting in the waves!

We were the only strangers about and these people were so friendly to us it was amazing.

Further on there are dozens of colourful fishing boats on the sands beside Valiyathura pier and you can watch women selling freshly caught fish at makeshift stalls in the evening. Although you are not allowed to walk along the dangerous dilapidated pier, during the monsoons local fishermen still push their boats out into the rough sea and jump into them from the old wooden structure.

Across the road the stained glass windows of Saint Antony’s Cathedral shone bright in the dusk. A man was outside lighting candles with his little girl so I stopped taking photos and listened while he enthused about the distinctive 16th century Franciscan church.

It’s hard to believe that Valiyathura was the most important cargo port in Kerala until the industry was moved up coast to the huge dockyards at Kochi. There are future plans to develop the area so let’s hope this takes into consideration the local fishermen and their families who keep smiling despite the appalling poverty.