Travel to Thiruvanthapuram, on the Southwest Coast of India

A popular lore about its origin says
Lord Parsurama, an incarnation of Vishnu,
After battle destroyed 21 evil warriors,
Then prayed Gods for tranquil place,
Where he may penance perform,
His wish the God's deigned fulfill,
Granted him land he himself built,
Parsurama threw his battle-axe in sea,
And commanded water to retreat,
Fertile land that thus emerged,
Became Kerela, place of tranquility,
The name means, land of coconuts,
From tropical sun it is by palms shaded.

Situated on the southwest coast of India, sandwiched between the deep azure Arabian Sea and the lush Western Ghats, Kerala is land of marvelous beauty. Countless streams and rivers crisscrossing the landscape at different places, serene backwaters pushing deep into leafy countryside, lush green hill stations, endless expanse of rice fields, abounding mango and cashew plantations, palm trees soaring to sky, beaches blessed by surf and sun- such are the gripping pictures with which Kerela seduces its visitors.

The true essence of Kerela is captured in its capital city, Thiruvanthapuram, formally known as Trivandrum. Perched on a rolling terrain of low costal hills, close to Kerela's southern edge, Thiruvanthapuram is an ancient city with modern cosmopolitan outlook. Literarily the name, Thiruvanthapuram, means the abode of thousand-headed serpent Lord Anantha, who forms the couch on which reclines Vishnu, the preserver of Hindu trinity.
However, despite the religious connotations of its name, Thiruvanthapuram is first and foremost a secular city, which has enough political and commercial importance to warrant an international airport. It is a gateway to whole of south India and its numerous hotels and efficient transport system are well equipped to offer every modern facility to a traveler. Being capital of a state that boasts of 100% literacy, it is environmentally conscious, and is clean and green. Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of curing through the use of natural herbs and roots is immensely popular. Many foreign tourists specially visit Thiruvanthapuram to be treated in its excellent ayurvedic centers.