Thrissur

Thrissur (originally Thirusivaperoor, formerly Trichur) is a popular city and district in the central part of Kerala in Southern India. It is known as the cultural capital of Kerala, with numerous cultural institutions, art centers, museums, etc.

Understand
Thrissur is one of the oldest cities in Kerala. The legend says that the city was the town created by Lord Parasurama (6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu) soon after formation of Kerala, by creating a large Shiva temple. The entire city is formed around the grand Shiva temple known as Vadakumnathan Temple. The temple is in the center of a mega roundabout that is in area. This roundabout is known as Swaraj Round. All roads connect to this.

Perhaps when Indians think of Thrissur, the first image would be the famous Thrissur Pooram festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival of Kerala. This is also known as largest festival in Kerala. The festival is at the Vadakkumnathan temple grounds, in April or May. The city is equally famous for the final celebrations of the Onam festival, which is the national festival of Kerala. It hosts the famous Pulikali during Onam celebrations in August or September (depends on Malayalam calendar). Apart from festivals and culture, Thrissur is also well known as one of the best shopping centers in Kerala for silks and gold ornaments. The city is also known as Entrepreneurial City, due to presence of large number of entrepreneurs working in various trades.

History
The word Trichur is the anglicized form of the Malayalam name of the town Thrissur which in turn a shortened form for Thiru-Siva-Peru-Uur, meaning 'Place named with Lord Siva'. The name is appropriate, for Thrissur derives its main glory from Vadakunnathan Temple, (Vadakum Nathan, Lord of the North) that dominates the topography of the town. Trichur is of hoary fame, and the origin of Vadakkunnathan Temple is ascribed to Parasurama, the legendary hero who is said to have reclaimed Kerala from the sea by throwing an axe across the sea from the north. In historical times it was a suburb of Musiris port of Chera Kings mentioned in Silapathikaram of Sangam Tamil Period.

From very early times Thrissur has been a centre of learning and, with the decline of Buddhism and Jainism and the establishment of the supremacy of Brahmanism during the revival of Hinduism, Thrissur became an important centre of Sanskrit learning. The great Adi Sankara had taught Advaita here. After his travels in different regions of India he is believed to have come back and settled in Thrissur and died here. Sankara Acharya's disciples Hastamalaka, Thotaka, Padmapada and Sudhachara established in the town four Madams, namely the Northern Madam, the Middle Madam, the In-Between Madam and the Southern Madam respectively, all of which are extant except the In-Between one.

Thrissur occupies a prominent place in the history and culture of Kerala and is said to be the cultural capital of the state. It is also one of the main trade centers in the state. The present Thrissur District was carved out of a bigger District of the same name on 1 Apr 1958. It derives its name from the location of its headquarters at Thrissur. The town is built around a hillock atop which is the Vadakkumnathan Kshethram or temple which has Shiva as the presiding deity.

Thrissur rose in importance due to Raja Rama Varma, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran who ascended the throne of Kochi in 1790. Large areas of Thrissur were captured by the Zamorins of Kozhikode in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the latter half of the 18th century, Tipu Sultan held sway over Thrissur until the European domination began under the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the English.

Long ago, the vast open area around the temple was a magnificent teak forest called Thekkinkadu. Today, the forest has given way to one of the most important examples of Kerala's architecture which often does away with the imposing gopurams of South Indian Temples. This temple features low, tiled roofs, an abundance of woodwork, and the famous koothambalam or theater hall with sloping roofs of metal plates within which is performed the dramatic art form chakiar koothu. The Vadakkumnathan temple is also well known for its murals depicting scenes from the Mahabharatha as well as exquisite paintings and carvings.

The south east corner of the district is bounded by Tamil Nadu. The Periyar, Chalakudy, Karuvannur and Ponnani (Bharatha Puzha) are the main river systems in the district.

A place of great antiquity, Thrissur was also known by such names as Vrishabhadripuram and Then Kailasm in ancient days. The famous Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthi, founded by the late poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, is in Thrissur District. The Kerala Sahitya Academy and Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy are situated in Thrissur town.

Visitor information

 * Tourism information

By plane
Cochin International Airport of Kochi is 51 km south of Thrissur City with direct flights from the Middle East, Singapore, Maldives, Europe and Sri Lanka. Calicut International Airport of Kozhikode is 80 km north of Thrissur City. Alternatively reach Chennai (Madras), Bangalore, Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, or other Indian cities and then by train.

By train
Thrissur City is well connected and serviced by rail to all major cities in India. Thrissur Railway Station is a major railway head in South India and is the busiest railways station in Kerala in terms of train halts. Daily trains are available to Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mangalore and Hyderabad. Google is providing free wifi facility in association with Railway in Thrissur Station.

By bus
You can also get in to Thrissur City by bus from cities like Kozhikode, Kannur Mangalore, Kochi, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Mumbai and Coimbatore.

By road
Thrissur is well connected by NH 544 and NH 17 to other cities like Kochi, Kozhikode, Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai and Pollachi by road.

Get around

 * Bus: Private bus service system and Government-run KSRTC is a good choice for travelling.
 * Autorickshaw: Auto rickshaws are the main form of local transport, if you don't have your own means of transportation. Autorickshaws running in the city limits are to use fare meters, while the ones from the adjacent areas need not use them. However it is a rule that such autorickshaws without metres should not pick up passengers within city limits. There is a pre-paid auto rickshaw counter at Thrissur Railway Station.
 * Taxi: Local taxis are also available at cheap rates. Please note that there are no local taxis (yellow cabs or the one's having yellow roof and black body). The taxis known as 'Tourist taxis' are meant for long travel or one day trips.Uber taxi services are available in Thrissur with basic fare ₹40
 * Car: There are many car rental companies offering cars with drivers or self-drive.
 * Bike: Bikes are available for rental in Thrissur City. This is available for a week or more than that.
 * Walk: Many places of attractions are near by each in the city limit other so you could walk between them.

City

 * The church houses the tallest church tower in Asia at 79 metre (260 ft) height called the Bible tower.
 * The church houses the tallest church tower in Asia at 79 metre (260 ft) height called the Bible tower.
 * The church houses the tallest church tower in Asia at 79 metre (260 ft) height called the Bible tower.

Rural



 * Chalakudy Muncipality Kalabhavan Mani Memorial Park is a beautiful park made by the Chalakudy Muncipality, commemorating the deceased actor, Kalabhavan Mani. It hosts playgrounds, and paths to walk on. Visit the park in early mornings and in late afternoons.
 * Chalakudy Muncipality Kalabhavan Mani Memorial Park is a beautiful park made by the Chalakudy Muncipality, commemorating the deceased actor, Kalabhavan Mani. It hosts playgrounds, and paths to walk on. Visit the park in early mornings and in late afternoons.
 * Chalakudy Muncipality Kalabhavan Mani Memorial Park is a beautiful park made by the Chalakudy Muncipality, commemorating the deceased actor, Kalabhavan Mani. It hosts playgrounds, and paths to walk on. Visit the park in early mornings and in late afternoons.
 * Chalakudy Muncipality Kalabhavan Mani Memorial Park is a beautiful park made by the Chalakudy Muncipality, commemorating the deceased actor, Kalabhavan Mani. It hosts playgrounds, and paths to walk on. Visit the park in early mornings and in late afternoons.

Annual festivals or events

 * Aanayoottu (Feeding of elephants): It's a festival held in the precincts of the Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur C, The festival falls on the first day of the month of Karkkidakam (timed against the Malayalam calendar), which coincides with the month of July.
 * Feast of Saint Raphael, Ollur: This is an annual festival held in Ollur, near Thrissur City, since 1839. It draws thousands of pilgrims.
 * Puli Kali:Puli Kali literally means 'tiger play'. This event happens on the fourth day of Onam, where Puli Kali troupes from all over the Thrissur City assemble to display their skills.
 * Thrissur Pooram: The Pooram of all Poorams, is the most spectacular festival of this cultural capital celebrated at Vadakkumnathan Temple every year during April–May. Though non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple, Kerala’s grandest temple pageantry, which includes colourful processions of caparisoned elephants and a midnight fireworks display, parasol exchanges, drum concerts can be witnessed from the crowded streets of Thrissur City. The two devaswams- Thiruvampadi and Paramekkavu- explore and exploit every source at their command to make this annual festival a memorable one.It is celebrated with a colourful procession of caparisoned elephants, parasol exchanges, drum concerts, display of pyro-techniques and refreshing scenes of public participation. During the festival season, Thrissur, popularly known as the temple town turns into a town of colour, music and mirth.
 * Tourists (with passport), can sometimes get special tickets to this event offered for free which allow them entry onto a 'Guests' viewing platform which has a great view of the whole event. To get these tickets you'll meed to take your passport to the tourist office, which is about a 10 minute north of the central temple where the festival takes place. If you do get these tickets, arrive early as the seating is unassigned and often over sold. The main festivities of elephants and the parasol showdown run from about 5PM to 7PM.
 * If you are only in town for a day, don't take your backpack with you, it's much too crowded. You can leave it at the train station coat check securely. To do so you will need locks on all parts of your bag (needed by the guard to accept your bag, and easily bought for about ₹30 from a small corner store seller just up at the top of the steep railway road), a train ticket (₹28 to erankulam worked fine), and ID for them to write down.

Eat
There are many small houses in the small lane near Dolors Basillica which specilizes in selling fresh vellayappams and other delicacies. One should definitely try the delicacies from there.



Sleep
Much of the budget accommodation is on the southern streets coming away from the temple. Some hotels charge only ₹300 per night. During peak times like the yearly Poorum, expect accommodation prices to skyrocket to ₹3000 and many places have to be booked out in advance.



Other alternatives during peak times are to stay at Guruvayoor, connected by 40-minute train, which has ample accommodation.

Stay safe
Thrissur City is generally a safe city for a regular tourist. Take the precautions which you would be regularly taking in various other small cities in India. Beware of pickpockets. Certain areas near the bus stands and railway station may not be a good place for women moving around alone in the nights.

Thrissur City has three police stations. The East Police Station located in between the Municipal Bus Stand and 'Sakthan Thampuran' Bus Stand. The West Police Station is located at the suburb of Ayyanthole next to the District Collectorate (HQ of the civil administration). The Traffic Police Station is just opposite to the East police station quite close to the Police Club and the Fire Station. Regular patrols of the law and order and the traffic police are present in various parts of the town.

For help dial:
 * 100 - Police Control Room
 * 101 - Fire Brigade Control Room

Health care

 * Amala Medical College, Amala Nagar
 * Aswini Hospital, Karunakaran Nambiar Road, Thrissur
 * Balya Hospital for Children, S.T Nagar
 * C.A.M Hospital, Olarikara
 * Co-Operative Hospital, Shornur Road
 * Daya Hospital, Thrissur
 * District Hospital, Round East
 * Elite Hospital, Koorkenchery
 * E.S.I Hospital, Kanjani Road
 * E.S.I Hospital, M.G.Kavu
 * GEM Hospital, Convent Road
 * Govt.Medical College Hospital, Mulankunnathukavu
 * Jubilee Mission Medical College, Mission Quarters
 * Lakshmi Nature Cure and Yoga Center, Viyoor
 * MAcare Medical and Dental Clinic Valapad, Thripayar
 * Metropolitan Hospital, Kokkalai Road
 * Mother Hospital, Kanjani Road
 * St.Joseph Mission Hospital (a.k.a Choondal Hospital), Choondal
 * Sunethri Ayurvedic Hospital &Speciality centre, Chiyyaram
 * Trichur Heart Hospital, S.T Nagar
 * Vaidya Ratnam Ayurveda Hospital, Ollur
 * West Fort Hospital, West Fort
 * West Fort Hightech Hospital, Guruvayur Road

Go next

 * Kochi
 * Palghat