Varkala Beach

Varkala Beach is situated on the National Highway 47 between Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram, at about 37 kilometers from Kollam.
The beach is known for the cliffs along the sea shore and this is a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat Kerala Sealine. This beach has been declared as a geological monument by the geological survey of India. These are tertiary sedimentary formation cliffs and there are many spouts and spas near by. The water here is said to be medicinal and a dip in the sea is said to clear ones sins. This beach is also called as Papanasam beach, meaning the cleanser of all sins beach.

You can find a 2000 year old Janardhanaswamy temple on the top of the hill overlooking the beach. You can climb the hill through the stairs but only Hindus are allowed inside the temple. You can see beautiful carvings of Hanuman, who went to Lanka in search of Seetha of Ramayana, in different poses all round the walls of the temple.
Another landmark of the Varkala town is Sivagiri Mutt. This wasa founded by the well known philosopher, Sri Narayana Guru who is well known for his Vedic knowledge and poetic proficiency He was open to the views of others and followed a non-violent philosophy. His unrelenting resolve to set aright social wrongs got him the respect even though he was born in a lower caste which was looked down by the people. Guru's philosophy was "one caste, one religion and one god" and he propagated the philosophy to all his followers,
Sri Narayana Guru's Samadhi is here at Varkala and the place attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days - that is Dec 30th - 1st Jan every year

How to Reach Varkala:
You can reach Thiruvananthapuram airport if you are coming by flight to Kerala. From the airport it is abot 60 kilometers to the beach.
Varkala is a railway station on the Thiruvananthapuram - Kollam line. Almost all the trains travelling that way stops there. Even if you reach Calicut or Ernakulam airport you can get to Varkala through trains travelling to Thiruvananthapuram. The station is just 3 kilometers away from the Beach.

Attukal Bhagavathy Temple

Attukal Pongala is the most important festival of the Attukal Bhagavathy temple located in the village Attukal in the city of Thiruvananthapuram of the state of Kerala. The festival falls in the month of Kumbham masam that is in February - March every year.. It starts with the Karthika star and ends with Pooram star which falls on the full moon day of the month.

The ten day festival begins with the rendering of the story of Kannaki the heroine of the tamil epic Silappadikaraam by Ilango adigal. The story invokes the presence of Kodungallor Bhagavathy and the slaying of the Pandyan king is continued for all the nine days. The Pongala festival is commemorates the victory of Good over Evil.

Thousands of hearths are lighted from one hearth laid at the front part of the temple and the offering of pangala for the Goddess is prepared. On the 9th day of the festival it would seem that all the roads in the city of thiruvananthapuram leads to Attukal temple. For about an area of 5 kilometers radius around the temple all the houses irrespective of caste creed or religion becomes a ground for observing pongala. Only women are allowed inside the area and this is also known as Sabarimala for women.

At a fixed time the temple priests sprinkle holy water on the Pongala Kalams and showering of flowers from a helicopter over the area, to honour the glory of the Deity. The calls of Amme Saranam, Devi saranam, Lakshmi saranam, Bhadre Saranam, gets filled in the air.

Kuthiyottam is performed by the boys under 13 years and Thalappoli by the girls. The boys represent the wounded soldiers of the Devi Mahishasura Mardhini. On the tird day the boys are given prasadam by the priest and they perform 7 day penence by performing strict diet restrictions, staying in the temple etc. Besides these, the boys have to undergo such disciplines like prostrating 1008 times before the deity.

On the tenth day, after the procession, rendering of devotional songs takes place which is followed by the ceremonial removal of the "Kappu". The ten day festival comes to an end with the sacrificial offering known as 'Kuruthi Tharpanam' at night.

For more details about the temple andother vazhipadu contact
Secretary
Attukal Bhagavathy Temple Trust
P.B. No. 5805, Manacaud P.O.,
Thiruvananthapuram - 695 009, Kerala
Tel : 0471 - 2463130 (Off)
0471 2456456 (Temple)
Fax : 0471 - 2456457
Email: attukal@vsnl.com

Indian Institute of Space and Science Technology

Indian Institute of Space and Science Technology  is located in the their own fully equipped campus on the Veli Hills near the Vikram sarabhai Space centre located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.  The Veli Hills is located at about 12 kilometers from the Thiruvananthapuram railway station and about 4 kilometers from the Airport.

The Indian Institute of Space and Science technology is a Deemed University under section 3 of the UGC act 1956. IIST was set up under the Department of Space of the central Government of India offers B Tech program in Avionics, Aerospace Engineering  and Physical Sciences.  IIST also offers Post Graduate  and doctoral programmes so as to meet the requirements of the Indian Space Research organization (ISRO).
 Here the courses will have space nodules that in addition to the regular Curriculum of the IIST which are tailored to Space Science and space technology.  The instiute focuses mainly on the reasearch activities of our country's research programs  and related innovative ventures.

IIST had started functioning in 2007 - 2008 with just undergarduate programe in Technology with specialzation in Avionics and Aerospace Engineering as well as Physical Sciences with specialization in Astronomy / Astrophysics, amterial Science, remote sensing,and Atmospheric & oceanographic Sciences. The courses and the curriculum have been carefully chosen as per the needs of the technologies pursued in the department of Space while keeping the generic requirement of the engineering and the science course intact.

The institute is presently in a specially created campus  adjacent to the Vikram Sarabhai Space centre Thiruvananthapuram. IIST has classrooms, hostels, Library and computer facilities. Efforts are going on for the IIST to own a permanent campus at Valiamala at about 18 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram adjacent to the ISRO facilities  for a better and close interaction. The campus will have academic areas and the research laboratories, administrative area Library and information area, Computer center, Residential area for the faculty and support staff, Senate cum convocation area, hostels and studio type apartments for research fellows, students activity center and many more.


The IIST has separate departments for the main subjects taught and researched, namely, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Earth and Space Sciences, Aerospace engineering, Avionics and Humanities. Each of the department is headed by well trained and experianced faculty who have the best of academic excellance to nurture and guide the students and act as mentors and counsellors to them.The IIST emphasizes personal and human touch in the academic and scientific research.
 At present IIST has 436 students  and 54 faculty members with the ratio of 8:1 and the Institute is doing its best to maintain the ratio to guide, support, enhance the student and their learning process.

Eligibility to Join Indian Institute of Space and Science Technology
Candidates should be citizens of India.
The candidates should be less than 25 years old as on October 1st of the year for the GEN and OBC candidates and for the SC, ST and PD categories shall be less than 30 years old. The date of birth recorded in the high School/ first board, preuniversity / its equivalent certificate will be taken into consideration.
A candidate should have passed his Qualifying Examination in his first attempt  and the results should be provided by July 1st of the year. As on July 1st if you are expecting the results  or going to appear for the Qualifying exams, you will not be eligible for the admission.

The minimum percentage for the GEN and OBC will be 70% and for the others it will be 60% in their ClassX or an equivalent examination. In the plus @ or the higher secondary examination the GEN and the OBC should have got 70% and the others 60%.
As per the Government of India rules reservation of seats are done for the candidates with a relaxed criteria.  The categories are  SC Scheduled castes, ST Scheduled Tribes, OBC Other Backward Classes belonging to non creamy layer, and Physically disabled candidates.

How to Apply for Indian Institute of Space and Science Technology?
You can apply online only. The application form will be available from 10 am on the 21st Dec to the end of january in the IIST website. For further information you can contact mentioned phones 0471 2564831 / 2564832

For more details visit ISAT admission test and procedures

Contact Details of the Indian Institute of Space and Science Technology
Indian Institute of  Space Science and Technology
Valiamala P.O.,
Thiruvananthapuram – 695 547, Kerala
India

Public Relations & Administration - 0471-256-8462
Fax - 0471-256-8406
EMail - ao (a)  iist.ac.in

Kuthira Malika / Puthenmalika Palace Museum

Kuthiramalika Palace was established by the Travancore Maharajah Sri Swathi Thirunal  Balarama Varma . Sri Swathi Thirunal was a well known poet, musician, statesman and a social reformer. This Kuthiramalika Palace is a rare specimen of worksmanship  which was built in the traditional travancore style of Architecture.   The palace has been exquisitely carved on the wooden panels. At present the place is a museum which displays the paintings  and other collections of the royal family over the years.

Kuthira Malika  palace is located  very close to the Padmanabhaswamy temple  and is also known as the Puthenmalika meaning a New Mansion. The name Kuthira Malika was derived from the fact that there are 122 horses carved on the wooden wall brackets  which support the southern of the roof of the palace  You can get various informations about the fashion and the  style of the architecture in the mid 19th century.

Swathi Thirunal Sangeetholsavam / Swathi Thirunal Music Festival is held  every year during 6th to 12th January. Programs of Carnatic as well as Hindusthani Classical  are held  at the Kuthira malika palace every year.   The beautiful  Palace and the landscaped gardens have also been used in film shootings  as the beauty of the palace and the ground have been maintained regularly.

Entrance Timings for the Kuthiramalika Palace are from 8.30 am - 12. 30 pm and 3 pm - 5.30 pm

Entrance Fees are Rs 5/ for adults, Rs 3/ for children, Rs 20/ for foreigners and  Rs 25/ for the camera

The Palace Museum will be closed on  Mondays  

Tel: 0471 247 3952

Ponmudi, an hill station in Kerala

Location of Ponmudi Hill station of Kerala
Ponmudi, a lesser known hill station of Kerala, is located at about 61 kilometers from Thiruvananthpuram the capital city of the state of Kerala in India. It just takes a 2 hours drive at first through the National Highway and then through the ghat roads  which curve and bend beautifully showing you the beautiful sceneries,  flowing streams, small waterfalls falling on to the road and many more attractions.  Ponmudi  is a hill station in the God's Own Country of Kerala but is slightly shadowed by the fabled beauty of the beaches and the backwaters.

About Ponmudi Hill station of Kerala 
Ponmudi is a hill station with a salubrious climate  and is a repository of  a different kind of wealth in Kerala. Hidden amidst the slopes are the exotic spices  and the tranquility, where one could relax and rejuvenate in. Ponmudi is located at an altitude of 610 meters above the sea level , means the Golden Peak.  The hill station is the least haunted by the tourists  and so it is one of the most peaceful places to be in. Ponmudi is a place to be when you need relaxation and rejuvenation.

Ponmudi hill station and the adventure tourism 
This is a trekker's delight and you can see many trails passing through the area. Hike through the slopes of the tea gardens  and watch the tea pickers at work.  You can also try your hand at fishing at the river kallar. This is a pretty picnic spot endowed with natural springs  which is a little further down the hill. Golden Valley is a scenic view point.

The tourist attractions in and around the area are
Spice and Tea plantations, Echo point, Agasthyakoodam Peak at 2000 m abocve sea level
Aranmula Temple
Golden Valley
Deer Park
Meenmutti Waterfall
Mini Zoo to the north of Ponmudi

Accommodations are available in the area . There is a small guest house set amongst the picturesque green slopes which is a  Government tourist complex. The guest house have 24 rooms  and ten small stone cottages  on the hill side.
Duke's Forest Lodge, which  is located between Thiruvananthpuram and Ponmudi, is also available   for the hikers and trekkers passing through the area.
You can also stay in the city of Thiruvananthpuram and then travel to the hill station

How to Reach Ponmudi from Thiruvananthapuram?
Ponmudi is located at about 61 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram.  nearest airport and railway station are available in the Thiruvananthpuram.  On the Thiruvananthpuram Nedumangad, Shenkottah line, Ponmudi comes after Agasthyakoodam and Golden valley.

How To Reach Thiruvananthpuram? 

Kowdiar palace in Thiruvananthapuram of Kerala State

About Kowdiar Palace in Thiruvananthapuram
Kowdiar palace is located at Kowdiiar, in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram the capital city of the state of  Kerala. This palace was built by Sri Moolam Thirunaal and gifted to Sethu Parvati Bayi.  Now Kowdiar palace is the official residence of the Travancore Royal Family.

This was the home of the Sree Chithira Thirunaal Balarama Varma  and his family. His Highness Chithira Thirunaal was laid to rest in the beautiful gardens,  inside the campus of the Kowdiar Palace.
Since the architecture of the Kowdiar palace is very well known and of historical importance. The entry for the visitors is restricted and one can see the Palace only from the gate at the Entrance into the campus.

How to Reach Kowdiar palace
You have to reach Thiruvananthapuram either by air, by rail or by road. After you reach Thiruvananthapuram you can get autos, cabs and buses to reach the Palace.
You cannot enter the campus and the visiting is restricted.

Accommodations in Thiruvananthapuram 

Priyadarshini Planetarium, Thiruvananthapuram

Priyadarshini Planetarium is one of the versatile   and most sphisticated planetaria in the  whole of India. You can find a  centrally air conditioned sky theatre, conference hallsound studio, work shops etc. Priyadarshini planetarium is rated as one of the best with the global standards and has a seating for 184 persons.

The main GM -II projector can show you almost all the constituents of the visible parts of the universe and simulate  the night sky over any part of the world, any location , on any given day upto 12500 years either in the past or in the future.
The wonderful world of Astronomy is revealed at the Priyadarshini Planetrium  and the staggering distance  from the earth to the space is eliminated completely. The universe gets displayed right in front of your eyes. We can many things about our neighbours in the universe, the Moon, the planets Venus and Mars, the Sun  and the asteroids as well.

We come to know many things from a visit to the Priyadarshini Planetarium, that the sun we know is  a star in the big universe, one among the billions in the Galaxy. which is just one among billions of galaxies in the universe.  We have to come to learn more from our spacecrafts after they started exploring the solar system. So  visit to the planetarium is a must, to keep in touch with the universe, in which we live and learn more about the solar system.

Timings of the Priyadarshini Planetarium
working hours - 10 am - 5 pm
Malayalam show timings - 10.30 am , 3 pm, 5 pm
English  show timings - 12 noon

Entrance fee for the Museum and the Planetarium
for adults  Rs 15
for children below 10 years - Rs 10
For a  group of students per head - Rs 10
 For the 3D theatre - Rs 10 per head

Contact Details of the Priyadarshini Planetarium
Kerala science and Technology Museum
Vikasbhavan P.O,
Thiruvananthapuram - 33
Tel : 2306024, 2306025, 2304286,
Fax : 0471-2304286
Email : directorksstm@gmail.com