What is "thiruvananthapuram"

Thiruvananthapuram ,തിരുവനന്തപുരം (Tiruvaṉantapuram, ), formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "evergreen city of India", it is classified as a Tier-II city by the Government of India.

Thiruvananthapuram was an trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory. The city was ruled by the Ays and was captured by the rulers of Venad in tenth century A.D. In 1729, Marthanda Varma founded the princely state of Thiruvithamkoor and made Thiruvananthapuram the capital in 1745. It remained as a princely state ruled by Travancore under the loose governance of the British before joining the Indian Union in 1948.

Thiruvananthapuram contributes nearly 80% of the state's software exports and is a major IT hub. It was ranked as the best city in Kerala to live in a 2012 survey by Times of India. The city was also ranked as the best city in India for Housing and Transport by a survey conducted by India Today.

Thiruvananthapuram is a Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala.