Trivandrum or Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. 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", the city is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills and busy commercial alleys. With almost 745,000 inhabitants per the 2001 census, it is the largest and most populous city in Kerala; the wider urban agglomeration having a population of about one million.
The city is the state capital and houses many central and state government offices, organizations and companies. Apart from being the political nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the University of Kerala, and to many science and technology institutions, the most prominent being the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Technopark and IIST.
The Kumaranasan Park is actually a well maintained public square full of green landscaped lawns in front of the Senate building of the Kerala University.Some time back, there was a public furore that parks and statues in the city were “disappearing” under a blitz of advertisements by political parties, mass organizations etc, marring their beauty and serenity. At the Asan Square in front of the University Senate Hall, the statue of Kumaranasan and the greenery of the surrounding park had till recently, been virtually shut out by a collage of advertisements creating an eye sore around the area. Now thankfully these advertisements and hoardings have been banned in and around the public parks and gardens of the green city and the beauty of Kumaranasan park has been restored.
