The city of Thiruvananthapuram has been the centre of cultural activities of Kerala (India) from the time it was made capital of Travancore in 1745. The capital city is a major intellectual and artistic center. The Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Thiruvananthapuram Zoo were started during the reign of Swathi Thirunal(1813–1847) and are one of the oldest of their kind in India.[1] The city's libraries include the British Library and Trivandrum Public library, which was started in 1829.[2] The 'Swathi Thirunal College of Music' and 'College of fine arts' are the leading institutions related to music and arts. The people of Thiruvananthapuram are sometimes referred to as "Trivandrumites".
