Thiruvananthapuram city’s Victoria Jubilee Town Hall or VJT Hall, renamed the Ayyankali Hall in 2019, is an iconic city landmark. The Hall was opened on January 25, 1896, to mark the 50th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria and is a majestic structure built in the style of the colonial era. 

Heritage building and citizens’ hub
Though Thiruvananthapuram is known for its numerous heritage buildings, most in the typical colonial architecture and the trademark red colour, the Ayyankali Hall stands out as it is a hub for the citizens, providing a venue of architectural splendour for everyday events. The Town Hall regularly hosts cultural events, political meetings, concerts, sales and fairs. Managed by the General Administrative Department of the Government of Kerala, the elegant hall which can accommodate upto 350 people, free of charge, is today probably the most popular venue for public gatherings in the city. 

With its majestic façade and ornate interiors, the building was a natural choice to serve as the first Legislative Assembly Hall of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore which included the present-day Thiruvananthapuram. The Legislative Assembly continued to function from the premises till 1939, when it was shifted to the Secretariat complex. Several national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, have addressed public meetings from the venue.

Built under the patronage of a social reformer 
According to old records from Travancore, the building of the Hall was made possible through money supplemented by a grant from Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore who was an enlightened social reformer and keenly interested in the city’s progress.

In 2019, the then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan renamed the popular Hall after well-known Dalit reformer, Mahatma Ayyankali. In 1912, the Hall was the stage for a powerful speech by Ayyankali, in which he fervently advocated for equal rights for the oppressed castes. The speech became a catalyst for social change and ignited events that went on to change Kerala's socio-political landscape.