Thiruvananthapuram literally means City of Lord Anantha. The name derives from the deity of the Hindu temple at the centre of the city. Anantha is the serpent Shesha on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu reclines. The temple of Vishnu reclining on Anantha, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple is the most recognizable iconic landmark of the city.

The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum in English language until 1991, when the government decided in favour of Thiruvananthapuram. The name Trivandrum is still in common use mostly by tourists and some private/public sector companies.

The rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram began with accession of Marthanda Varma in 1729 as the founding ruler of the princely state of Thiruvithamkoor (Travancore). Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of Travancore in 1745. The city developed into a major intellectual and artistic center during this period of time. The golden age in the city’s history was during the mid 19th century during the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal . This era saw the establishment of the first English school (1834), the Observatory (1836), the General Hospital (1839), the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College (1873). The first Lunatic Asylum in the state was also started in the same period. Sanskrit College, Ayurveda College, Law College and a second grade college for Women were started by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924).

The early 19th century was an age of tremendous political and social changes in the city. The Sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904 was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. Despite not being under direct control the British Empire at anytime, the city however featured prominently in India’s freedom struggle. The Indian National Congress had a very active presence in the city. A political conference of the Congress was held in the city under the presidency of Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramaiah, in 1938.

The period of HH Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma who took the reign of administration in 1931, witnessed many-sided progress. The promulgation of “Temple Entry Proclamation” (1936), was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of the University of Travancore in 1937 which later became the Kerala University.

After the withdrawal of the British in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popular ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi. The King of Travancore, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from July 1, 1949 until October 31, 1956. When the state of Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of the new state.

With the establishment of TERLS (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station) in the 60s, Thiruvananthapuram became the cradle of India’s ambitious space program. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) located in the outskirts of the city in 1966. Several establishments of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram.

A major milestone in the city’s recent history was the establishment in 1995 of Technopark, India’s first IT park.[6] Technopark has developed into the largest and greenest IT Park in India and is home to IT giants like Infosys and TCS, employing around 12,000 people in close to 100 companies.[7] This placed Thiruvananthapuram on the IT map of India and it is today one of the most promising in the country in terms of competitiveness and capability.