The capital of the state of Kerala, Trivandrum or Tiruvananthapuram, is a beautiful seaside city build on hills overlooking quiet verdant valleys. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is dedicated to the serpent Anantha, on which Lord Vishnu reclines and is a sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus since antiquity. With its magnificent tower rising in seven storeys against the reflecting pool in front, the temple is a fine specimen of South Indian architecture. Napier Art Museum is a colourful and attractive turreted structure with gothic roof and minarets. The painted walls and ceilings have copies of the Ajanta and Sigirya frescos, miniatures from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools, works from China, Japan and Bali as well as canvasses by modern Indian painters.
