Neyyattinkara

Neyyattinkara is a municipal town in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, India. It also serves as the administrative headquarters of Neyyattinkara taluk. Nestled along the banks of the Neyyar River, one of the district's principal rivers, the town derives its name from its location, with 'Neyyatinkara' in Malayalam translating to 'the shore of the river Neyyar.' Neyyattinkara ranks as the second most densely populated municipality in the district, following Varkala. Notably, the Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram is situated within Neyyattinkara Taluk."

The town derives its name from its location, with 'Neyyatinkara' in Malayalam translating to 'the banks of the river Neyyar.'

The town comes under the purview of Neyyattinkara Municipality. It also comes under the Neyyatinkara Assembly Constituency which inturn comes under the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha Constituency. The town is mostly residential, with many government and service sector establishments. The standard and generally accepted abbreviations of Neyyattinkara are NTA (used by general public) or NYY (used by Indian railway) and NTKA used by Kerala State Electricity Board.

Cave pictures, probably by Neolithic people, are found in Pandavanpara, located on the northeast side of Neyyattinkara towards the Karakonam route. This famous cave falls under Perumkadavila panchayat. The name of this portion of land, before Marthanda Varma became the ruler of Travancore, was 'Thenganad'.

Neyyattinkara is located at 8°24′N 77°05′E / 8.4°N 77.08°E / 8.4; 77.08. It has an average elevation of 26 metres (85 feet). The town is situated on the Neyyar River side, one of the principal rivers in Thiruvananthapuram district. The river flows to the south part of the town. Water Supply for the town and the adjacent places is obtained from this river. Topography of the town is rather uneven, with higher areas in the downtown. Nearby the town is the hillock Aruvippuram. The Western Ghats form a scenic backdrop to the town. The town is sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. The nearby sea shore is just 10 km. away in west, and seven kilometres to the east can take you to the mammoth hillocks of Western Ghats. The geology is said to be typical of the Kerala soil - the Laterite and red soil. The town can still boast of a good green cover in residential and non-residential areas.

A depiction on the Veera Smrithi states "From this village 174 men went to the great war 1914 to 1919". It is located near Village Office, Neyyattinkara.

The Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is situated in the centre of the town and is an important pilgrimage centre. The annual festival is an important attraction for people in the district.

Besides the religious significance, the temple holds a special place in Travancore history. Legend has it that the then Crown Prince Marthanda Marthanda Varma was redirected by Anandapadmanabhan Thambi dressed up as mad chaannaan (everyone believed that he was dead; as spread by enemies) to a Jackfruit tree near the temple while he was being chased by his enemies. The prince hid within the tree cavity and escaped almost certain death. He was convinced the chaannan was none other than Lord Sri Krishna himself. Gratefully, he named the tree as Ammachi Plavu (Mother Tree) and placed it under royal protection.