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കേരള സംസ്ഥാന ഭരണ സിരാ കേന്ദ്രം Saṁsthāna Sarkkār Sirākēndraṁ
Photo: Syed Shiyaz Mirza, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Built as Huzur Kacheri (Secretarial Offices in Malayalam) in 1860 to serve as the Royal Durbar Hall of Travancore Kingdom, this building has an imposing structure. The building was designed by the British Royal Engineers Corps combining international architectural styles and is a testimony to past influences from Roman, Dutch and English styles on Kerala. The old Legislature Assembly Hall inside the complex (Asia's first native legislative assembly) has a good museum with a detailed gallery that depicts the history of the Travancore Legislative Assembly. Other areas in this building are not of tourist interest as they are government offices.
The Kerala Government Secretariat is the seat of administration of the Government of Kerala, in Thiruvananthapuram, housing important ministries and bureaucratic offices. It is the highest echelon of state administrative structure offering locus for the exercise of executive authority by the State Government of Kerala. The secretariat refers to the complex of departments. Its political heads are the ministers while the administrative heads are the Secretaries to the Government. The Government Secretariat is a popular landmark and located in heart of the Thiruvananthapuram City, in Narmada Road. The Secretariat complex was originally constructed as Durbar Hall for Travancore Kingdom.
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The new legislature assembly complex, called Niyamasabha (Law House in Malayalam), is a modern structure located in heart of the city. It's famous for the classical Kerala architecture with ornate teak works, a unique Kerala styled dome, exquisitely designed interiors and a vast expanse of greenery around it. A photo shoot before this structure is an excellent addition to your travelogue.
This museum depicts the history of South Asian Legislature assemblies. The building was once the headquarters of Travancore Royal Nair Brigade (Travancore Army). Today its galleries can give a detailed look into history of South Asian legislature activities and process.
Housed in a beautiful colonial building, this newly developed museum (circa 2008 vintage) presents a periodised history of Kerala. It's the first 'interactive' museum in the country, featuring touchscreen terminals. Like so many museums and historical texts in India, there are no maps inside to provide visual aid to the topics. Regardless, the museum is very pleasant, clean, modern and well presented when compared to others. Displays begin in the stone age and advance through rock art and stone tools to pottery, bronze sculptures, folk art and architecture, with a few latter-day items to boot. A small canteen behind the museum for staff of the adjacent tourist department offers good value fish or vegetable curry.
One of the largest planetaria in India and rated as one of the best horizontal planetaria of the world. It has a collection of astronomical science objects from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Two major shows regarding various secrets of universe are done daily. It has a good Sky Theatre, a large conference hall and is the location of regular space-related programmes.
Art Gallery
Named after former Madras governor, Lord Napier (Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier and 1st Baron Ettrick), this museum is a beautiful building in the museum (read: park) compound. This masterpiece was designed by Madras Government architect Robert Chisholm in Indo-Saracenic style. The museum displays rare archaeological and historical artifacts including bronze idols, ceramics, an impressive carved wooden cart, Buddhist statues from various parts of the country and neighbouring places, ivory carvings, chests, Balinese shadow puppets, various old coins, Hindu puja items, and more. Quite a few objects are foreign, and of those quite a few are Chinese. Unfortunately most are lacking labels, have labels only in Malayalam, or are very vague. Look up at the impressive roof when you enter! No photography is allowed. There is no sign saying "Napier Museum", just "Art Gallery" and it's the big building in the park to the north of Museum Road.
An old fort around Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. Today most of fortifications have been dismantled, except the Eastern side. The fort will sometimes be referred to as the East Fort because of this. The Fort Gate opens directly before Sree Padmanabha Temple and is designed in a European style. The illumination of the East Fort Gate in the evenings is a major attraction.