Kovalam, Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). This is a fishing village on the coast of the Laccadive or Lakshadweep Sea, yet it is less than ten miles from the centre of Thiruvananthapuram. For some still engaged in fishing, life seems to go on much as it did in the nineteenth century, but the beaches here are lined with cafés and frequented by pedlars, and there is a big choice of hotel and hostel accommodation to suit all pockets.
In truth, Kovalam was popular even before the hippies descended on South India. Emily Hatch writes: "There are a number of beautiful drives about Trivandrum. Probably the favourite wth the residents is the one which leads to Kovalam, a splendid bathing beach" (172). She also mentions that "[a] bathing house has just been put up for the convenience of bathers" (173). Today, the signboard here lists various hotels and guest houses, including a Holiday Inn, as well as a Tourist Information Office.
Photographs and text by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images too without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Bibliography
Hatch, Emily Gilchriest. Travancore: A guide book for the visitor with thirty-two illustrations and two maps. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1933. Internet Archive. Contributed by the Digital Library of India. Web. 7 May 2019.
Created 7 May 2019