Mananchira is the city's central tank, originally part of the Zamorin's palace, now ringed by a public park with a musical fountain that runs most evenings. Joggers do laps before sunrise, families come out after dinner, and an open-air auditorium on the east side hosts free concerts, plays and Onam celebrations.
The colonial-era Commonwealth Trust building on one side and the Town Hall on another bracket the square. The tank itself was the city's main fresh-water supply for centuries; the name "Mananchira" derives from the local Mana family who built it.