Ponmudi - Thenmala - പൊന്മുടി തെന്മല

The former name for Kerala's capital city, Trivandrum, may be more easily pronounceable but the present official name, Thiruvanathapuram, is closer to its mythological, origins. The word 'Thri Ananthapuram' means the city of Anatha 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.The name also reflects the city's best-known temple and a famous landmark, Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, dedicated to Padmanabha or Lord Vishnu and - so goes legend- built in stages to house an idol discovered in a forest by a devotee. The historical importance of the city and this temple can be gauged from the fact that in 1750 when it was the capital of the Venad chieftains of the erstwhile state of Travancore, its renowned ruler Maharajah Marthanda Varma dedicated the entire state to the deity of the temple. It was only as servants of the deity that the King and his successors held possessions as well as the right to rule. Built on seven hills, and liberally covered with the green of low-lying paddy fields and coconut palms, Trivandrum has not lost this holy glory, having accepted diverse and religious traditions in its warm and hospitable embrace.