Handmade in India

Subclusters of
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Thiruvananthapuram
district:
Anavoor
Anayara
Attingal
Sree Kariyam
Chakai
Chalai
Neyyatinkara
Nediyamcode
Perumkadavila
Parassala
Kovalam
Varkala
Pallipuram
Vizhinjam
Kollam district:
Kollam
Eravipuram
Crafts of
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Bell metal casting
Wood carving
Palmyra basketry
Ramachan root products
Horn carving
RESOURCES
Craft Raw Materials Sources
Bell metal
casting
Palmyra
craft
Horn
carving
Brass, Copper, Tin,
Zinc, Beeswax, Coal,
Coconut husk
Palm leaves, dyes
Buffalo, Bullock and
Bull horns
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thirivananthapuram &
Thrissur
A craftsperson demonstrating the process of weaving strips of
screw pine into mobiles.
A doorway of a house facing the market outside the
Padmanabhaswami Temple, Thiruvananthapuram; the
carved wooden gable of the doorway the paint work are
characteristic of the local architecture aesthetic.
Now the capital of Kerala,
Thiruvananthapuram, known as
Trivandrum earlier was the seat of the
former royal family of Tranvancore
from 1750 to 1956. The city derives its
name from the temple dedicated to
Anantha, the sacred thousand headed
serpant. The oldest part of the city had
developed around the temple.
As the gateway to the south and the producer of vast
quantities of timber, ivory, pepper, ginger, cinnamon and
other spices, this port city was an important trade centre
and consequently was privy to interactions with
mercantile communities from China, Arabia and later
with the Portuguese, Dutch, French and British colonial
traders as well. This region of lw lying paddy fields and
coconut palms is also home to a training centre for
kalaripayattu, the form of martial arts that originated in
Kerala in the 11th century. Kollam, situated 71 km from
Thiruvananthapuram, is a key participant in the state`s
trade and commerce due to its large cashew trading and
processing industry. Balaramapuram in
Thiruvananthapuram district has a large cluster of
handloom weavers, who produce pristing, fine cotton
textiles such as mundu and neriyath, the traditional two
piece unstitched garment worn by women of a
communities. The neighbouring district of Kollam has
weaving clusters that produce cotton textiles, furnishings
and torth, the simple, open weave, absorbant towel.
ACCESS
Thiruvananthapuram is a major junction on the southern
road and railway networks with connections to many
major cities in the country. The city also has a national and
international airport, effectively linking it by air to Kochi,
Chennai, Delhi, Goa and Mumbai, as well as other
countries , especially those in the Middle East.
Inset : Detail of wood carving inside the Anantha
Padmanabhaswamy Temple, built in the heart of
Thiruvananthapuram city. Every minute detail in this
temple built in stone is carefully designed and carved - the
beams and pillars, joints and brackets carved in wood have
received special attention, making it one of the finest
examples of religious architecture done on a grand scale in
Kerala.