Palayam, one of the busiest places in Thiruvananthapuram, is located in between Statue and PMG Junction. This is one of the oldest campgrounds of the Nair Pattalam, the royal army of the erstwhile kings of Travancore. The local people call these campgrounds where the army resided as Palayam. M G Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road) passes through Palayam.

Palayam, the hustling part of Thiruvananthapuram, is surrounded by offices, hospitals, colleges and historical monuments. University College, Sanskrit College, Victoria Jubilee Town Hall (VJT Hall), University College Library, Fine Arts College, State Central Library, Chandrasekhran Nair Stadium, Saphalyam Shopping Complex, Jubilee Memorial Hospital, University of Kerala and Palakkal Art Gallery are the major landmarks.

History

It gets its name from the fact that it used to be camp of the royal army and cavalry of the erstwhile kings of Travancore. It extended from the Cantonment House in the North up to A.K.G. Centre in the South, including areas now occupied by the University Stadium and Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium. The Army subsequently moved to Pangode. The cavalry, however, remained at Palayam. The name “Cantonment” is not much in use for the area, though that name is still associated with the police station near the Secretariat, “Cantonment Police Station”. At present, “Cantonment House” serves as the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition.

Religious Confluence

At Palayam, one can witness a rare site of religious integration. The Palayam Juma Masjid, St Joseph’s Cathedral or Palayam Palli and a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh are situated close to each other. The mosque and the temple share the same wall and the church is across the road. The co-existence of these three centres of worship of different religions is quite unique and is a standing example of the religious tolerance and harmony in the state. Today hundreds of devotees offer prayers to the temple, especially on Thursdays. The Friday prayers at the mosque are attended by a fairly high number of people.

Compiled by Jameesh