An ancient temple with a rich history to its credit, Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is one of the busiest in Kerala. As the devotees here mainly comprise of women, the temple is also known as 'Women's Sabarimala'. The primary deity here is Goddess Bhagavathy. Governed by the Attukal Bhagavathy Trust, this temple has daily offerings, prayer meetings, and devotional events. The annual festivals here are renowned, with 'Pongala' being a major one. Women devotees offer a pot of naivedyam (a pudding made of rice and jaggery) made in the temple premises to the goddess as part of the festival rituals.
Madre de Deus Church is an important Catholic pilgrim center set in a backdrop of the turbulent and beautiful Arabian Sea along the road to Veli. The history of the church is traced back to the middle of the 16th Century and was made popular with the visit of the renowned Christian missionary St. Francis Xavier. The church in its present form was built in 1936 and is also known as Vettukad Church. The popularity of the church is owed to the 10-day 'Feast Of Christ, The King' celebration that takes place in the month of November. Activities during the celebrations include a procession of hundreds of people covering the entire parish on the second last day with the image of Christ. A grand feast on the last day of the celebration attracts more than 50,000 people of all creeds from across the world. Located four kilometer from the International Airport, this church is a beautiful place of worship in the line of churches that adorn the coastal Thiruvananthapuram.
A popular honeymoon destination, the town of Poovar is worth that short drive from Thiruvananthapuram. Known for its sandy beaches, jade waters and tropical climate, a visit to Poovar is a delight in every sense. The Chola Empire chose Poovar for several trades due to its proximity to the sea, and it also had many European as well as Middle Eastern ties during 1000 BCE. Today, those historic traces can still be experienced at this quaint town. Poovar is also one of the very few places on earth that sees a confluence of three different water bodies and land.
The Padmatheertha pond (Lotus Pond) in Thiruvananthapuram is located along the street that leads to the ancient Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple from the East Fort gate. Ever-since its existence, which is believed to be around the same time of the temple, devotees of the temple have dipped in this sacred temple pond as part of the cleansing ritual before entering the temple. This pond is flanked by a cave on the north-east side in which lies a small Shiva temple. However, the most interesting part of this landmark is a raised stone at its center that bears footmarks of Lord Vishnu, who people believe gave divine guidance to Lord Brahma while standing on it. The pond, along with the temple, is one of the main attractions at the city center.
Surrounded by trees in a serene environment, Sreekanteswaram Temple is a famous Shiva temple. Located south-west from the Old Sreekanteswaram temple, this temple is a major point of convergence for Hindu devotees during the festivals of Maha Shivratri (March) and the annual Thiruvathira Mahotsavam (March-April) which stretches for a period of 10 days. Pilgrims visit the temple to worship Lord Shiva in the form of Shiva lingam that faces the east and offer milk and pure water by pouring it on the idol. One could also hear a constant buzz created by people chanting the mantras of Lord Shiva. Apart from Shiva, there are shrines of other deities such as Lord Krishna, Ganesha, Swamy Ayyappa, Lord Hanuman and Lord Subramanya, all of which face east. The temple pond on the east is used by devotees for holy bath and also for performing poojas (religious rituals).
Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, who is considered by devotees as a remover of obstacles from one's life. The main temple is built of stone and features a Lord Ganesha idol, seated with one folded leg. During Vinayaka Chaturthi and Sankashti Chaturti, two holy days dedicated to the deity, several devotees of all ages come to the temple to worship and offer prayers to the Lord. Apart from the Ganesha shrine, one can also worship the shrines of other deities such as Nagaraja and Goddess Durga. Among the most notable features of this temple are the beautiful sculptures denoting Ganesha's many forms inside the complex.