Thiruvananthapuram (or Trivandrum) - the capital city of the so-called God's own country. The abode of political kingpins and goondas; the movie capital of Kerala; a city where people are mean, arrogant, rude, stingy, frowning and speak an odd dialect of Malayalam, people from other parts of the state berate - this was the Trivandrum I knew (or heard of) until I visited this place for the second time.
My first visit was as a 12 year old boy (in 1996). I (along with my practice mates at school) got an invitation to play in the Trivandrum District Lawn Tennis tournament held at Trivandrum Tennis Club (TTC). I have only vague memories from that trip: it was my first ever train journey, we stayed at Aristo junction (cannot recollect the name of the lodge), used to commute by bus to Kowdiar where TTC is, knew that Kizhakkekotta (East Fort) was somewhere near (and we had to take the bus to Kizhakkekotta from TTC to reach the lodge), saw the movie "Independence Day" at Sreekumar/Sreevisakh (not sure in which of these theaters), heard lots of stories beyond my imagination in those 3-4 days and that I missed my home...
My second stint (cannot call it a visit) was as a 21 (soon to be 22) year old man ready to join one of the best companies in Technopark; luck by chance :). The boy had grown up to be a responsible employee, but my perception of Trivandrum remained the same. My initial days there did nothing to change that notion.
It was difficult to get to terms with the extremely slow paced life in Kazhakuttom, the village in Trivandrum where Technopark is. Good hotels were rare and Bakeries were yet to make an entry to this part of the world. For someone coming from the bright and bubbly Cochin, Trivandrum offered nothing exciting; unless you were ready to explore the capital city of the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom.
Life in Trivandrum kicked off quite well for me. The 2006 FIFA World Cup finals between France and Italy cheered me up on the night my parents dropped me in Trivandrum. The next day I joined RM as a Trainee. Technopark was a completely different experience; well maintained buildings, beautifully landscaped gardens, finely dressed and well mannered professionals all around; overall, a very healthy atmosphere.
Gradually, I started liking this place; the good friends I made in and out of RM (especially in Technopark Club), my home-mates at Gowreesam (our own rented house), the people around Technopark, all contributing to the cause. For the first 2 years, I never missed a chance to go home, by bus, train or whatever means it be. There were just one or two weekends that I stayed back to experience Trivandrum!!
Life moved on, the trainee became a senior member in the team, some old faces left, some new came in, made more friends and I started spending more time in Trivandrum. With each passing day, my love for this city grew. Maybe it is a coincidence, my love for history also grew during these 11 years I spent in this city full of traditions and history. Travancore was one of the most prosperous princely states in British India. This place has made me what I am for I have spent the most precious phase of my life, my youth, here.
The evenings at Shangumugham, the Old Coffee House, the Valiathura Pier, Bheema Palli, a stroll in the Museum compound, the curios in the Napier Museum, visits to the Zoo, Kuthiramalika, the sweet streets at Kizhakkekotta, the streets of Pazhavangadi, the Padmanabhaswamy temple (the most prominent location in the whole city where I could never step in to), the Aazhimala beach, the high ranges of Ponmudi, the peculiar food joints, early morning rides to Technopark, all make Trivandrum a sentiment.
When you have friends who you would call family, it becomes even tougher to part ways with a place you love. Trivandrum has given me much more than I can give back; friends to keep for life, memories that last a lifetime, and a family to hold tight until I last.
I love Trivandrum and I miss those days...
My first visit was as a 12 year old boy (in 1996). I (along with my practice mates at school) got an invitation to play in the Trivandrum District Lawn Tennis tournament held at Trivandrum Tennis Club (TTC). I have only vague memories from that trip: it was my first ever train journey, we stayed at Aristo junction (cannot recollect the name of the lodge), used to commute by bus to Kowdiar where TTC is, knew that Kizhakkekotta (East Fort) was somewhere near (and we had to take the bus to Kizhakkekotta from TTC to reach the lodge), saw the movie "Independence Day" at Sreekumar/Sreevisakh (not sure in which of these theaters), heard lots of stories beyond my imagination in those 3-4 days and that I missed my home...
My second stint (cannot call it a visit) was as a 21 (soon to be 22) year old man ready to join one of the best companies in Technopark; luck by chance :). The boy had grown up to be a responsible employee, but my perception of Trivandrum remained the same. My initial days there did nothing to change that notion.
It was difficult to get to terms with the extremely slow paced life in Kazhakuttom, the village in Trivandrum where Technopark is. Good hotels were rare and Bakeries were yet to make an entry to this part of the world. For someone coming from the bright and bubbly Cochin, Trivandrum offered nothing exciting; unless you were ready to explore the capital city of the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom.
Life in Trivandrum kicked off quite well for me. The 2006 FIFA World Cup finals between France and Italy cheered me up on the night my parents dropped me in Trivandrum. The next day I joined RM as a Trainee. Technopark was a completely different experience; well maintained buildings, beautifully landscaped gardens, finely dressed and well mannered professionals all around; overall, a very healthy atmosphere.
Gradually, I started liking this place; the good friends I made in and out of RM (especially in Technopark Club), my home-mates at Gowreesam (our own rented house), the people around Technopark, all contributing to the cause. For the first 2 years, I never missed a chance to go home, by bus, train or whatever means it be. There were just one or two weekends that I stayed back to experience Trivandrum!!
Life moved on, the trainee became a senior member in the team, some old faces left, some new came in, made more friends and I started spending more time in Trivandrum. With each passing day, my love for this city grew. Maybe it is a coincidence, my love for history also grew during these 11 years I spent in this city full of traditions and history. Travancore was one of the most prosperous princely states in British India. This place has made me what I am for I have spent the most precious phase of my life, my youth, here.
The evenings at Shangumugham, the Old Coffee House, the Valiathura Pier, Bheema Palli, a stroll in the Museum compound, the curios in the Napier Museum, visits to the Zoo, Kuthiramalika, the sweet streets at Kizhakkekotta, the streets of Pazhavangadi, the Padmanabhaswamy temple (the most prominent location in the whole city where I could never step in to), the Aazhimala beach, the high ranges of Ponmudi, the peculiar food joints, early morning rides to Technopark, all make Trivandrum a sentiment.
When you have friends who you would call family, it becomes even tougher to part ways with a place you love. Trivandrum has given me much more than I can give back; friends to keep for life, memories that last a lifetime, and a family to hold tight until I last.
I love Trivandrum and I miss those days...
