Formed on July 1,1949 the city of Thrissur dons innumerable hats. It being not only the cultural capital of the state of Kerala, but also a gold capital having the flagship stores of all the leading gold jewelry houses, textiles hub, real estate hub, cultural center, pilgrimage site, center for healthcare for central Kerala, ayurvedic drug manufacturing hub, financial and banking hub having the headquarters of major banks, spiritual capital with some of the oldest temples, mosques and churches, various sports clubs and a couple of football stadiums, home to many national and international body building stars and also the chess prodigy, Nihal Sarin.
Thrissur, anglicized named Trichur, historical name being Thrissivaperoor has a rich and varied historical and political importance. Often popularly referred to as The land of Poorams due to the celebration of Thrissur Pooram, a 36 hours long festival held at the temple Vadakkunnathan Temple of Lord Shiva in the Malayalam month of Medam ( mid April to mid May as per Gregorian calendar ) it is again a unique destination being the most visited in Kerala by the domestic tourists for the many pilgrimage places and various fairs and festivals held here.
Vadakkunnathan Temple, being the first temple built by Lord Parasurama and the first among the 108 Lord Shiva temples in Kerala. No wonder the place has so much historical and cultural heritage not only for the Hindu religion but also for the Christians and the Muslims.
Asia's tallest church Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica and the first and oldest mosque in the country Cheraman Juma Mosque are located here.
Apart from the man made edifices, the city is endowed with natural beauty with beaches, hillocks, forests and waterfalls aplenty. In terms of food, it offers much variety in both vegetarian and non vegetarian fare that includes traditional dishes ranging from Appam, Puttu, Kadalakkari, Idiyappam, veg and non veg stew to cooked rice of Choru, curries, buttermilk, Vellayappams to name a few.
Here are more details for the visitor to plan a trip to this must-visit town on a trip down south to the state of Kerala
How to reach
By Roadways - KSRTC runs various buses all connecting the place with other cities all over the State
By Railways - Thrissur Railway Station is one of the most connected with places all over the Stats and the Country
By Airways - Cochin International Airport, at a distance of 50 kms
Places, Events And Festivals To Visit include the following -
Shivratri
Onam
Eid
Diwali
Easter
Christmas
Vadakkunnathan Temple
Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica
Cheraman Juma Mosque
Aanayoottu, the world's largest elephant feeding festival
Chettiyangadi Hanafi Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Kerala
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple, being the largest in the country
Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple, one of the largest ones in the country
Buon Natale, Christmas celebration
Puli Kali ( Karakali ) held on the festival of Onam
A visit to Thrissur brings joy not only to the physicalnsenses with natural and architectural beauty and cuisine that satisfies the palate but also to the soul which overflows with emotion and worship for the supreme in the temples and rituals that seem to be as old as time itself.
Pictures from -
Wikipedia
