The capital city of Kerala has been endowed with many monuments leftover from the rule of the Maharajas of the Kingdom of Travancore. These civic-minded rulers were propagators of arts and literary studies and built numerous colleges, art galleries and theatres for performing arts. One of their important contributions towards modern-day Trivandrum is the magnificent museum and zoo complex located in the heart of the city.
The complex consists of a 30-acre rambling zoological park that was built in 1859 and houses numerous exotic birds and animals in a dense green environment. Aside from this, there is the Napier museum that was built in 1857 by Maharaja Uthram Thirunal, making it one of the oldest museums in the country. The museum was further expanded in 1880. There is a Natural History Museum too that was built in 1964 and houses an exhaustive collection of stuffed wild animals and birds.
The most eye-catching feature in this complex however is the Sri Chitra Art Gallery that is an ode to cultural and artistic excellence. The gallery was opened to the public in 1935 by Maharaja Sri Chithira Thirunal of the Kingdom of Travancore. The origins of the gallery have to be attributed to Dr. J.H. Cousins, the art advisor to the government who was involved in arranging the rich collection of art. A large part of the painting collection was gifted to the gallery by the royal families of Travancore and Kilimanoor.
Attractions of this gallery include the riveting paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, a member of the royal family. His paintings became more famous after he won an international award during an exhibition in Vienna in 1873. There are many magnificent paintings here by other members of the royal family too including Rama Raja Varma, C. Raja Raja Varma and Mangala Bai Thamburati.
You will also find some huge paintings here painted according to different styles including the Mughal paintings, Rajasthan paintings, Tanjore paintings, paintings from Bali, Tibetan thankas and even some Russian paintings.
While the Tanjore paintings are a typical representation of classical Thanjavur styles, the Tibetan thankas are unframed paintings on textile materials like cotton and silk. The Russian paintings are done by a father and son duo depicting breathtaking views of the Himalayas.
Trivandrum is truly a wonderful place to settle down in with its richness in history and culture, premium educational institutions, excellent infrastructure, world-class medical centers and a booming IT hub. Artech Realtors have excellent apartments in the best locations across this city for those on the lookout for homes.
