Thrissur

Thrissur pronunciation (Malayalam: തൃശ്ശൂർ) originally Thiru Siva Peroor and previously known by its anglicised form as Trichur, is the fourth largest city, the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala (Pop. 1,854,783) and the 20th largest in India. It is also the headquarters of the Thrissur District. The City is built around a 65-acre (26 ha) hillock called the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple. Thrissur was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. It is located 300 kilometres (186 mi) towards north-west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

Thrissur [തൃശ്ശൂർ] is also known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala because of its cultural, spiritual and religious leanings throughout history. It contains the Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Academy. The city hosts the Thrissur Pooram festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival in Kerala. The festival is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan in April or May. Thrissur has a large number of well-known temples including the Vadakkumnathan temple, Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple and Paramekkavu temple, and the Guruvayur temple as well as two famous churches, the Our Lady of Lourdes Syro-Malabar Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral and the Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica.

Thrissur has historically been a centre of Hindu scholarship. The city has one of the most important temples of Hindu Shaivism, that is the Vadakunnathan temple. The district is also home of one of the most holiest Hindu Vaishnava temples, the Guruvayur temple. Christianity, Islam and Judaism entered into the Indian subcontinent through the Thrissur District. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings claim Thomas the Apostle to have set foot in Muziris near Thrissur 2,000 years ago. (AD 51–52) The country's first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, opened in AD 629. Thrissur has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English.

The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali entrepreneurs, and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala. It flexes its economic muscle in India as the headquarters of three major scheduled banks, South Indian Bank Ltd, Catholic Syrian Bank and Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd and a clutch of Chit funds. The city is also a big centre for shopping in Kerala for silks and gold jewellery. Thrissur attracts the largest number of domestic tourists in Kerala.

Apart from being the cultural nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the Kerala Kalamandalam, Jawahar Bal Bhavan Thrissur, Kerala Police Academy, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kerala Institute of Local Administration and Kerala Forest Research Institute.

Etymology

The name Thrissur is a shortened form of Thiru-Shiva-Per-Ur (Tamil / Malayalam: തിരു-ശിവ-പേര്-ഊര്, Lord-Shiva-Name-Town) literally translates to 'The City or Town with the name of the "Lord Shiva"'. The name owes itself to the most prominent feature of the city, that is the Vadakkumnathan Temple, which has Shiva as its presiding deity. Alternately, Thri-Shiva-Perur (Malayalam: ത്രി-ശിവ-പേരൂർ, Three-Shiva-Palace) means the place with three famous Shiva temples which are said to be – the Vadakkumnathan Temple, Kottapuram Shiva temple and the Poonkunnam Siva Temple.Thrissur was known by its anglicised name Trichur until 1990 when the Govt.decided to replace with its Malayalam name. Thrissur was also known as "Vrishabhadripuram" Kailasam of the South) in ancient days.

History

Pre-history

The Ramavarmapuram monument is in granite and is of the menhir type. The monument in Ramavarmapuram is 15 feet (4.6 m) in height and 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 m) wide. Since 1944, it has been protected by the Department of Archaeology. The monument is locally known as Padakkallu or Pulachikkallu. These menhirs are memorials put up at burial sites for the departed souls. They belong to the Megalithic Age of Kerala, which is roughly estimated between 1000 BCE and 500 CE. All such monuments have not been dated exactly. Some experts are of the view that these are the remnants of the Neolithic Age in the development of human technology. The Ramavarmapuram menhir is also believed to be a monument belonging to the Sangam period in the South Indian history.

Another monolithic monuments like Dolmens and rock-cut caves are at Porkulam, Chiramanengad, Eyyal, Kattakambal and Kakkad. According to historians, the dolmens are burial sites. Though most of the monuments were well protected, the dolmen at Porkulam was in a neglected condition. The monument excavated under eminent Archaeologist B. K. Thapar, between 1949 and 1950, was under the Department of Archaeology. Another megalithic monument is situated at Ariyannur in Thrissur. This place has unravelled monuments such as the Kudakkallu or Thoppikkallu (Mushroom stones or Umbrella stones) and 'Munimada' (Saint's abode). The laterite hillocks of Ariyannur rise to about 50 metres. Another reference in Ariyannur dates back to the early 15th century in the poem Chandrotsavam.

Pre-Colonial history

The region can claim to have played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period. The early political history of Thrissur is interlinked with that of the Chera Dynasty of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. After the Cheras, the place was later ruled by the Kingdom of Cochin (Perumpadapu Swaroopam). Later, a powerful dynasty known as Zamorins of Calicut captured most of the Thrissur in 14th and 15th century.

Colonial period

Next was the turn of Portuguese who ruled Thrissur in the 16th century. In the beginning of the 17th century the Portuguese power was reduced and Dutch became the main power. With the help of Dutch, Cochin Royal Family recaptured Thrissur from Samoothiri in 1710.

The modern City of Thrissur rose to importance after Sakthan Thampuran ascended the throne of Kingdom of Cochin (1769–1805). He changed the capital of Cochin Royal Family to Thrissur from Mattancherry and abolished the power of Namboothiri community, which controlled most of the temples of Thrissur district. The maharaja destroyed the forest around the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple, and started the most spectacular cultural festival called Thrissur Pooram. Sakthan Thampuran laid the modern foundation stone of Thrissur and made the city into a major financial and commercial hub of South India, by inviting Syrian Christian families and Brahmins from adjoining areas.

However, during 1750–60 Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore, attacked Thrissur and became tributary of the Kingdom of Mysore. Tipu Sultan, his son led another invasion in 1786 to Thrissur, where he destroyed the churches of Syrian Malabar Nasrani community and Hindu temples. Tipu Sultan's Army set fire to the church at Palayoor and attacked the Ollur church. The economy of Thrissur totally collapsed because of this invasion. Later he made a retreat from Thrissur, which served as the headquarters of Kerala region, after the Srirangapattanam war. In the meantime, Rama Varma X, the successor of Sakthan Thampuran signed a treaty with East Indian Company, and made Cochin a subsidiary of the British.

The Indian freedom movement struggle also grew in momentum in Thrissur after a Committee was formed in 1919 of the Indian National Congress. In 1921, the Civil Disobedience Movement also attracted a large number of people into the freedom struggle. In 1927 Mahatma Gandhi visited Vivekodayam School in the city. In 1934, father of the nation, again visited the city for the housewarming of Barrister Krishna Menon. The house afterwards was known "Gandhi Mandiram" in Chembukkavu. In the mean time, R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, the controversial Diwan of Cochin Kingdom from 1935 to 1941, was developing City by constructing Thrissur Town Hall and Ramanilayam. Even now also two monuments remain as the epicentre of Kerala politics. DR M R Menon, a minister in Government of Kochi was instrumental in building the Municipal Corporation Building, Thrissur and the Municipal Office Road. He even concerted Swaraj Round and other peripheries of the city road.

Post-Colonial

In 1947, when India gained independence from the British rule, Thrissur was under Kingdom of Cochin. Thrissur district was formed on 1 July 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. The City is usually referred to as the Cultural Capital of Kerala . The City had been a breeding ground of famous politicians and bureaucrats like R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, P.C. Rao, C. Achutha Menon, K. Karunakaran, Joseph Mundassery, Vinod Rai etc. after the independence. These individuals have changed the trajectory of Thrissur City afterwards.

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P.S. Rao, advisor to the Rajapramukh and acting Governor of Kerala, is another person who Thrissurian is indebted to. He expanded Thrissur City by shifting all the administrative and government offices like Thrissur Collectorate to Ayyanthole from Chembukavu. Government Engineering College, Thrissur, is another gift from Joseph Mundassery, the controversial former education minister who introduced Kerala Education Act. C. Achutha Menon, the former Chief Minister of Kerala gifted Kerala Agricultural University in 1971, a university for all agricultural related activities.

K. Karunakaran, the Bhishma of Kerala politics started his career in Thrissur as a painter. Later on he became the "Leader" of city. During his regime Thrissur-Guruvayur Section and Poonkunnam Over Bridge was built. Vinod Rai, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, is another person who turned fortunes of the city by building Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar) when he was collector of Thrissur district. He is also known as the second Sakthan Thampuran of Thrissur by shifting the Municipal Stand near the M.O. Road to Shaktan Thampuran Nagar, now known as Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur. Another IAS officer who made remarkable contributions to the development of Trichur is Raju Narayana Swamy. He single handedly widened five roads of the city- Pattalom Road, Inner Ring Road, Ragam Theatre Road, Padinjare Kotta and Chemputti Lane - thereby changing the face of the town.

Geography

The city of Thrissur is situated in Thrissur District of Central Kerala in India. The city is located at 10°31′N 76°13′E / 10.52°N 76.21°E / 10.52; 76.21 and has an average altitude of 2.83 metres. The city is 75 km north-east of Kochi, 133 km south-west of Coimbatore and 144 km south-east of Kozhikode. The city is located in a hillock called Thekkinkadu Maidan which is the second highest point in city after the Vilangan Hills. From the hillock, the geography of the city move towards middle land where Thrissur Kole Wetlands is situated. The Kole Wetlands act as a natural drainage for the city where the water is carried out to river and from there to the Laccadive Sea, thus keeping Thrissur city safe from flood waters which affect most of the other cities in Kerala. Different ponds, rivers and canals also keep the ground water safe from salt waters. The city is located in midland regions of Kerala, with an extended part of Palakkad plains. The city geologically is composed of Archaean gneisses and crystalline schists. Major parts of city is covered by Archaeans rocks. The city lies near the centre of the Indian tectonic plate (the Indian Plate) and is subject to comparatively little seismic or volcanic activity.

Transport

Road

The city is connected to the North-South Corridor National Highway (India) via the four-lane National Highway 47. The highway traverses through the entire length and breadth of the city from different points and provides access to the nearby cities such of Kochi, Palakkad and Coimbatore. NH 47 provides two main exit points at Mannuthy and which is bypass to the Thrissur city and Thalore. The city is largely dependent on private buses, Taxis and auto rickshaws (called autos) for public transport. A transit terminal mobility hub situated in Puzhakkal is also under wraps to be made on lines of Vyttila Mobility Hub to reduce traffic congestion is recently approved to be realised soon.

State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs inter-state, inter-district and city services. Thrissur has three bus stations, the Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur in Sakthan Thampuran Nagar, Vadakke Stand (Northern Bus Stand) and the Thrissur KSRTC Bus Station near the Thrissur Railway Station. State Highway (SH 69) Thrissur-Kuttippuram Road, SH 22 Kodungallur – Shornur Road, SH 75 Thrissur – Kanjani – Vadanappally Road are the three state highways which connect city with its suburbs and municipalities.

Railway

The Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways operates the main rail transport system in Thrissur. There are four railway stations in Thrissur city. Thrissur Railway Station, the busiest railway station in Kerala provides trains to three directions and lies on the busy Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section. It has a satellite station, Punkunnam railway station and two minor stations, Ollur Railway Station and Mulankunnathukavu Railway Station. Thrissur Railway Station also connects to the temple town of Guruvayur by Thrissur-Guruvayur Section. In addition, Southern Railways is running a suburban railway system connecting Thrissur to Kochi and Palakkad using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit services (MEMU).

Air

The city is served by Cochin International Airport (Nedumbassery), which is about 55 kilometres away. Direct domestic flights are available to major Indian cities like Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata. International flights to Middle East cities like Bahrain, Muscat, Sharjah, Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha and to Southeast Asian cities Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are available here. It has a dedicated Heli-taxi service and Chartered flights. Calicut International Airport at Karipur, is 80 kilometers from the city and Coimbatore Airport, which is 114 kilometers from the city also can be used by travellers.

Culture and literature

Festivals

Known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala, the city enjoys a thriving cultural tradition dating back to centuries, and being the centre of Kerala's cultural activities. Thrissur Pooram also called as 'the pooram of all poorams' is celebrated in every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar. It is the biggest of all poorams held in Kerala. The city plays host, for 36 hours from the wee hours of the pooram day, to one of the most largest collection of people and elephants. Puli Kali also known as Kavakali is another festival, which attracts thousands of people to the city. It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in Kerala. The most important festivals celebrated in the City include Christmas, Onam, Easter, Eid and Vishu. The City is widely acclaimed as the land of elephant lovers. Aanayoottu (feeding of elephants), is the world largest elephant feeding ceremony held in Vadakkunnathan Temple in the City annually. The ceremony is conducted on the first day of the Malayalam month of Karkidakam.

Temples, Churches and Mosques

Temples The Vadakkunnathan temple, believed to have been founded by the legendary saint Parasurama, is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture and houses several sacred shrines and with beautiful murals delineating graphically, various episodes from the Mahabharata. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple, one of the largest Sree Krishna temples in Kerala and Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple which is one of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala is also situated in the city.

Churches Asia's tallest church, the Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica (Puthan Pally), Our Lady of Lourdes Syro-Malabar Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral which has an underground shrine, is a masterpiece of architecture. Mart Mariam Cathedral, the oldest church in the city, which belongs to the Assyrian Church of the East also known as Chaldean Syrian Church of the East, is situated in Thrissur. The St. Anthony's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, also known as Chinna Roma (Small Rome) are also in Thrissur.

Mosques The Chettiyangadi Hanafi Mosque in Thrissur City is one of the oldest mosque in Thrissur. Kalathode Mosque (Kalathode Juma Masjid) in Thrissur city has the facility of cemetery. Kokkalai Juma Masjid, Westfort Sunni Juma Masjid (West Fort), Salafi Juma Masjid near Railway Station, MIC Juma Masjid near Shakthan Bus Stand, Ayyanthole Juma Masjid (Ayyanthole), Olari Juma Masjid(Olari) are other mosques in Thrissur City. Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungalloor, ( 40km from Thrissur ) is the First Mosque in India.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Thrissur is linked to its history, geography, demography and culture. Rice is the staple food. Achappam and Kuzhalappam are popular snacks. Vellayappam, a kind of rice hopper is another dish which is special to the city.

Healthcare

The city serves as a centre for healthcare in the Central Kerala. The portion covers Thrissur District, Palakkad District, Malappuram District and northern part of Ernakulam District. Most of the people in these districts come to city of Thrissur for their medical care. There are three medical colleges, Government Medical College, Thrissur, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences and Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, and few other hi-tech hospitals.

The city has an ancient tradition of Ayurvedic treatment. From the Ashtavaidya tradition, Oushadhi, Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala, Sitaram Ayurvedic Pharmacy Ltd and SNA Oushadhasala is located in city of Thrissur, All these firms have been instrumental in spreading the fame of Kerala Ayurvedic treatment, as thousands of overseas patients visit the Ayurvedic treatment facilities in and around Thrissur, every year. Vaidyaratnam runs a medical college and Chikitsalayam, with global standards. Sitaram have a 100 bedded eight storied super speciality hospital in the city of Thrissur, envisaged as the first of its kind Ayurveda super speciality hospital in the country.

Picture gallery

• Entrance gate of Thrissur Zoo

• Archaeological Museum, Thrissur

• Shakthan Thampuran Palace

• Shakthan Thampuran Palace

• St. Thomas College, Thrissur

• Thrissur Town Hall

• Mural Art Museum