TRIVANDRUM

	The city of Trivandrum is located within the district by the same name. The district, at he southwestern tip of India, is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the West and Western Ghats on the East. It is situated between north latitudes 8° 17' and 8° 54' and east longitudes 76° 41' and 77° 17'.
	Thiruvananthapuram used to be called Trivandrum, from the time of the British till a few years ago.Thiruvanathapuram is the original name of the city, before the British changed it to Trivandrum, to suit their tongue. The original name reflects the city’s best-known temple and a famous landmark, Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The name translates to ‘City of Anantha’ or the abode of the sacred thousand-headed serpent Anantha, who forms the couch on which reclines Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Trinity of Hindu gods.
	Trivandrum is the capital of the state of Kerala, one of the 25 states of the Indian Union. It is also a center of higher learning, with several academic and research institutions.
	Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute, Rajiv Gandhi Center for BioTechnology, IISER, IIST, Center for Earth Sciences, Center for Development Studies, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Center, Sree Chithira Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Regional Cancel Center, Regional Research Laboratory are just a few of the institutions in Trivandrum which elevated it to a center of higher learning. Trivandrum is well connected by its International Airport and Railway Terminus