Qibla · Kerala
Qibla direction in Thiruvananthapuram
To face the Kaaba in Thiruvananthapuram, turn to 294.1° measured clockwise from true north, which is north-west (24.1° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,225 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Thiruvananthapuram should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Thiruvananthapuram as a needle at 294.1°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 294°. A traditional magnetic compass also works, provided you allow for the local difference between magnetic and true north.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Thiruvananthapuram
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 24.1° towards north: the result is the bearing of 294.1°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 24° off.
The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Thiruvananthapuram, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Thiruvananthapuram is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Thiruvananthapuram to Mecca points to 289.9° (west), 4.3° away from the correct 294.1°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 5 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 294.1° is the direction in which the shortest route from 8.4855° N, 76.9492° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.
Distance from Thiruvananthapuram to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,225 km from Thiruvananthapuram as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,339 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 28 min, although most pilgrims from Thiruvananthapuram connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Thiruvananthapuram run 2.5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Thiruvananthapuram rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Thiruvananthapuram
On 141 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Thiruvananthapuram while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 15 April 2027 it happens at 12:34 local time.
On 206 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in January (31 days), for instance on 1 January 2027 at 07:00.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 07:00 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 07:41 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 08:41 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 09:30 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 10:16 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 11:00 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 11:51 |
| 15 April 2027 | 12:34 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 13:24 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 14:08 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 15:00 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 15:28 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 15:27 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 14:58 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 14:08 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 13:21 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 12:21 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 11:31 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 10:33 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 09:43 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 08:43 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 07:57 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 07:11 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Thiruvananthapuram: at 14:48 and 14:57 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Thiruvananthapuram compared with other cities
Compared with New Delhi, 2,239 km away, the Qibla in Thiruvananthapuram is turned 27.5° further clockwise (294.1° against 266.6°), and Mecca is 390 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Kollam (60 km), prays towards 293.8°, a difference of 0.3°.
Across the 442 cities in India on this site, the Qibla ranges from 256.8° in Srinagar to 294.3° in Nagercoil, a spread of 37.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for India.
Qibla in cities near Thiruvananthapuram
- Kollam293.8° · 60 km
- Nagercoil294.3° · 63 km
- Tirunelveli293.6° · 85 km
- Rajapalayam292.8° · 126 km
- Alappuzha293.2° · 131 km
- Thoothukudi293.4° · 134 km
Qibla in Thiruvananthapuram: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Thiruvananthapuram?
It is 294.1° from true north, which is north-west: 24.1° north of west.
How far is Thiruvananthapuram from Mecca?
4,225 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,339 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Thiruvananthapuram?
On 141 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Thiruvananthapuram not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 289.9°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Thiruvananthapuram at 294.1°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 294.1° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.