Thrissur
Encyclopedia
This article is about the city in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. For the district, see Thrissur district
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area
Thrissur Metropolitan Area
This article is about the urban agglomeration of Thrissur. For the city of Thrissur, see ThrissurThe Thrissur Metropolitan Area or Thrissur urban agglomeration is a metropolitan area consisting of City of Thrissur and its adjoining Municipalities and Panchayats...



Thrissur previously known as Trichur, is the 4th largest city , and the 3rd most populated urban agglomeration (Pop. 1,854,783) in the Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

.It is also the headquarters of the Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

. Thrissur city is built around a 65 acres (26.3 ha) hillock called the Thekkinkadu Maidan
Thekkinkadu Maidan
Thekkinkadu Maidan is situated in the middle of Thrissur city of Kerala state in India. This hillock which seats the Vadakkumnathan Temple, is oval shaped open ground in the centre of the Thrissur city which is under the custody of the Cochin Devaswom Board...

 which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple. Thrissur was once the capital of Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...

. It is located about 290 kilometres (180 mi) north-west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...

.

Thrissur is also known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

because of its cultural, spiritual and religious leanings towards history. It houses the Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Academy. The city hosts the Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram
Pooram is one of the nakshatras or star in the Hindu panchangam. There are 27 Nakshatras in the Hindu panchangam and a million or more temples in Kerala, and this combination creates numerous possibilities for auspicious occasions, with each temple having varying importance for the different stars...

 festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. The festival is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan
Thekkinkadu Maidan
Thekkinkadu Maidan is situated in the middle of Thrissur city of Kerala state in India. This hillock which seats the Vadakkumnathan Temple, is oval shaped open ground in the centre of the Thrissur city which is under the custody of the Cochin Devaswom Board...

 in April or May. Thrissur has a large number of well-known temples including the Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple is one of the largest Krishna temples in Kerala. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple is located in Thrissur in Kerala, South India and is considered to be over 1000 years old....

, Vadakkumnathan temple and Paramekkavu temple, as well as two famous churches, the Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral
Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral
Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the largest churches in Kerala, is located in the heart of Thrissur city in the state of Kerala, India. Dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, the Roman Catholic church is noted for its imposing interior. The main attraction is an underground shrine,...

 and the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours
Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours
Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours is a minor basilica of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Thrissur in the Indian state of Kerala. The biggest and tallest church in Asia, it is famous for its Gothic style architecture...

.

The city derives its historical importance from when Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

 entered in to the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...

. Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...

 set foot here 2,000 years ago. (AD 51-52) The country’s first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid
Cheraman Juma Masjid
Cheraman Juma Masjid is a mosque in Methala, Kodungallur Taluk in the Indian state of Kerala. The Cheraman Masjid is said to be the very first mosque in India, built in 629 AD by Malik lbn Dinar. But, according to Nathan Katz, the accuracy of these claims is uncertain. It is believed that this...

, opened in AD 629. It has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

, Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali
Malayali
Malayali is the term used to refer to the native speakers of Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala...

 entrepreneurs, and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala. It flexes its economic muscle in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 as the headquarters of three major scheduled banks
Scheduled banks
Scheduled Banks in India are those banks which have been included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. RBI in turn includes only those banks in this schedule which satisfy the criteria laid down vide section 42 of the Act....

, South Indian Bank Ltd
South Indian Bank Ltd
South Indian Bank Limited is a private sector bank headquartered at Thrissur in Kerala, India. It is headed by Dr.V A Joseph, Managing Director & CEO of the bank. South Indian Bank has 580 branches and 3 extension counters spread across more than 26 states and union territories in India. It has...

, Catholic Syrian Bank
Catholic Syrian Bank
Catholic Syrian Bank Limited is a private sector bank situated in Thrissur city of Kerala state in India. Catholic Syrian Bank has 363 branches, 1 extension counter and over 125 ATMs, and a net profit of Rs 36.56 crore in 2007-08 on revenues of Rs 50 crore...

 and Dhanalakshmi Bank
Dhanalakshmi Bank
Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd is an old private sector bank headquartered in Thrissur city, Kerala, the "Cultural Capital of Kerala". It is headed by Amitabh Chaturvedi, Managing Director and CEO of the bank. The bank was focusing mostly on Southern states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and...

 Ltd and a clutch of Chit fund
Chit Fund
A Chit fund is a kind of savings scheme practiced in India. A Chit fund company means a company managing, conducting or supervising, as foremen, agent or in any other capacity, chits as defined in Section 2 of the Chit Funds Act, 1982...

s. The city is also a big centre for shopping in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 for silks and gold jewelry. Thrissur attracts the largest number of domestic tourists in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

.

Apart from being the cultural nerve centre of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam , lately renamed as Kalamandalam Deemed University of Art and Culture, is a major centre for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the southern state of India, with the special emphasis on Kerala. It is situated in the village of Cheruthuruthy in...

,Jawahar Bal Bhavan Thrissur
Jawahar Bal Bhavan Thrissur
The Jawahar Bal Bhavan Thrissur is an autonomous music, dance and arts school in central Kerala and functions under the cultural department of government of Kerala.It is situated at Chembukkavu in Thrissur district...

, Kerala Police Academy
Kerala Police Academy
Kerala Police Academy is situated in Ramavarmapuram in Thrissur city which began functioning in May, 2004. The Academy runs full-term basic courses for sub-inspectors, constables, women constables, drivers and telecommunication wing constables. It also runs short-term courses and in-service...

, Kerala Agricultural University
Kerala Agricultural University
Kerala Agricultural University is the primary and the principal instrumentality of the Kerala state in providing human resources, and skills and technology, required for the sustainable development of its agriculture, defined broadly encompassing all production activities based on land and water,...

, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences
Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences
Kerala University of Health Sciences is a medical university situated in Thrissur City in Kerala State of India. Mulankunnathukavu, Thrissur is the headquarters of the university. The university would be located in on the Government Medical College, Thrissur campus. The University was established...

 and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Kerala Institute of Local Administration is an autonomous training, research and consultancy organisation constituted under the Ministry of Local Self Government, Government of Kerala, registered as per Travancore – Cochin Literacy, Scientific and Charitable Societies Act-1995...

.

Etymology

The name Thrissur is derived from 'Thiru-Shiva-Perur' (Malayalam/Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 ), which literally translates to "The City with the name of the Lord Siva". Thrissur was also known as "Vrishabhadripuram" and then "Kailasam" (Kailasam of the South) in ancient days. Another interpretation is 'Tri-shiva-peroor' or the big land with three Shiva temples, which refers to the three places where Lord Shiva resides - namely Vadakkumnathan Temple, Peruvanam Siva Temple and Avittathur Siva Temple.

Pre-history

Starting from the Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...

, Thrissur must have been the site of human settlement. This is evidenced by the presence of a megalithic monuments at Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram is the northern suburb of Thrissur City in Kerala. This suburban area is home to several governmental and other institutions of national importance. The largest menhir type megalithic monument in granite in Kerala is found here. A local catholic church has recently been adorned with...

, Kuttoor
Kuttoor
-Demographics: India census, Kuttoor had a population of 7581 with 3640 males and 3941 females....

, Cherur and Villadam. The Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram is the northern suburb of Thrissur City in Kerala. This suburban area is home to several governmental and other institutions of national importance. The largest menhir type megalithic monument in granite in Kerala is found here. A local catholic church has recently been adorned with...

 monument is in granite and is of Menhir
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...

 type. The monument in Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram is the northern suburb of Thrissur City in Kerala. This suburban area is home to several governmental and other institutions of national importance. The largest menhir type megalithic monument in granite in Kerala is found here. A local catholic church has recently been adorned with...

 is 15 feet height and 12 feet 4 inches broad. From 1944, it is under the protection of Department of Archaeology. The monument is locally known as 'Padakkallu' or 'Pulachikkallu'. These menhirs are memorials for the departed souls put up at burial sites. 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
Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram is the northern suburb of Thrissur City in Kerala. This suburban area is home to several governmental and other institutions of national importance. The largest menhir type megalithic monument in granite in Kerala is found here. A local catholic church has recently been adorned with...

 Menhir
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...

 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 BK 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 early 15th century in the poem 'Chandrotsavam'.

Cheras

The early political history of the Thrissur and Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

 is interlinked with that of the Chera Dynasty
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

 of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 with their capital at Vanchi. Kodungallur
Kodungallur
Kodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...

 was also the capital of Cheraman Perumal
Cheraman Perumal
Rama Varman Kulashekhara was the last King of the Later Chera Dynasty and the first ruler of the independent Venad state from 1102 A.D to 1122 A.D, according to the Rameswarathukoil Inscription. Kotha Varman Marthandam succeeded him as the ruler of Venad.-The end of the Chera dynasty:Rama Varman...

, the last Chera
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

 ruler in the 7th century A.D. The legend is that he abdicated his throne and divided his kingdom among the local chieftains and left for Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...

 to embrace Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

. This place was later ruled by the Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...

 (Perumpadapu Swaroopam). During the time of the Chera ruler, Kodungallur
Kodungallur
Kodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...

 was an important trade link in Indian Ancient Maritime History.

The whole of the present Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

 was included in the early Chera
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

 empire. The District can claim to have played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period. It can also claim to have played an important part in fostering cultural relations and in laying the foundation of a cosmopolitan and composite culture in this part of the country. Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...

 (Muchiri) was an important port city in the pre-historic era, was a part of it.

Second Cheras

Later Kulasekhara Dynasty or Second Cheras, a Tamil-Malayalam Hindu dynasty founded by the saint king Kulashekhara Varman ruled the city. Later on Medieval Cholas
Medieval Cholas
Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century C.E. and established the greatest empire South India had seen. They successfully united the South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influence in the Southeast Asian countries such as Srivijaya...

 occupied Thrissur after the disintegration of Kulasekhara Dynasty. After the fall of Medieval Cholas
Medieval Cholas
Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century C.E. and established the greatest empire South India had seen. They successfully united the South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influence in the Southeast Asian countries such as Srivijaya...

, most of the Thrissur has been in the hands of Cochin Royal Family
Cochin Royal Family
The Cochin royal family were rulers of Cochin, or Kochi, India. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam or Kuru Swaroopam.-Tradition of Perumpadapu Swaroopam:...

 also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam. But at the same time, another powerful dynasty known as Samoothiri from Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...

 captured most of the Thrissur in 14th and 15th century. Next was the turn of Portuguese who ruled Thrissur in 16th century. In the beginning of 17th century the Portuguese power was reduced and Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 became the main power. With the help of Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, Cochin Royal Family
Cochin Royal Family
The Cochin royal family were rulers of Cochin, or Kochi, India. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam or Kuru Swaroopam.-Tradition of Perumpadapu Swaroopam:...

 recaptured Thrissur from Samoothiri in 1710.

Sakthan Thampuran

The modern city of Thrissur rose in to importance after Rama Varma Kunhjipilla Thampuran or Rama Varma IX or popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran
Sakthan Thampuran
Rama Varma Kunhjipilla Thampuran , or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran , was the ruler of Cochin. He was the King of Cochin and his palace was in Thrissur. Thrissur is the cultural capital of Kerala and Sakthan Thampuran is the very architect of Thrissur city. Thrissur Pooram was...

 ascended the throne of Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...

 (1769 to 1805). He changed the capital of Cochin Royal Family
Cochin Royal Family
The Cochin royal family were rulers of Cochin, or Kochi, India. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam or Kuru Swaroopam.-Tradition of Perumpadapu Swaroopam:...

 to Thrissur from Mattancherry
Mattancherry
Mattancherry is the western part of city of Kochi, India. It is said that the name Mattancherry is drawn from "Ancherry Mattam", a Namboodiri illam which then the foreign traders pronounced it as Matt-Ancherry, gradually became Mattancherry. It is about 9 km from Ernakulam town. There are...

. He abolished the power of Namboothiri community, which controlled most of the temples of Thrissur district
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

. The maharaja destroyed the forest around the Thekkinkadu Maidan
Thekkinkadu Maidan
Thekkinkadu Maidan is situated in the middle of Thrissur city of Kerala state in India. This hillock which seats the Vadakkumnathan Temple, is oval shaped open ground in the centre of the Thrissur city which is under the custody of the Cochin Devaswom Board...

 which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple, and started the most spectacular cultural festival called Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram
Pooram is one of the nakshatras or star in the Hindu panchangam. There are 27 Nakshatras in the Hindu panchangam and a million or more temples in Kerala, and this combination creates numerous possibilities for auspicious occasions, with each temple having varying importance for the different stars...

. Sakthan Thampuran
Sakthan Thampuran
Rama Varma Kunhjipilla Thampuran , or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran , was the ruler of Cochin. He was the King of Cochin and his palace was in Thrissur. Thrissur is the cultural capital of Kerala and Sakthan Thampuran is the very architect of Thrissur city. Thrissur Pooram was...

 laid the modern foundation stone of Thrissur and made the city in to a major financial and commercial hub of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

, by inviting Syrian Christian families and Brahmins from adjoining areas.

However, during 1750-60 Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...

 from Mysore attacked Thrissur and was forced to become tributary of Mysore kingdom. Tipu Sultan, his son led another invasion in 1786 to Thrissur, where he destroyed the churches of Syrian Malabar Nasrani
Syrian Malabar Nasrani
The Syrian Malabar Nasrani people, also known as Saint Thomas Christians, "'Nasrani Mappila'" and Nasranis, are an ethnoreligious group from Kerala, India, adhering to the various churches of the Saint Thomas Christian tradition...

 community and temples also. Tipu’s Amy set fire to the church at Palayoor
Palayoor
Palayoor or is a part of Thrissur district and is located on the west coast of Kerala, in India. By road it is 28 km from Thrissur on the Thrissur – Chavakad route via Pavaratty. It is very near to Guruvayoor, which is only 2 km away....

 and attacked the Ollur
Ollur
Ollur is a major suburban area and an old commercial town in the Thrissur district of Kerala state, South India. It is situated about 5 km away from Swaraj Round on National Highway 47 commonly referred to as NH47 towards Ernakulam. From ancient time onwards Ollur was a major business centre...

 church. He plundered Thrissur’s economy and even converted Christians and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

’s in to Muslims. The economy of Thrissur was 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
Rama Varma X
Rama Varma X was an Indian monarch who ruled the Kingdom of Cochin from 1805 to 1809.- Family :Rama Varma was the son of Sakthan Thampuran's mother's younger sister and therefore his cousin...

, the successor of Sakthan Thampuran
Sakthan Thampuran
Rama Varma Kunhjipilla Thampuran , or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran , was the ruler of Cochin. He was the King of Cochin and his palace was in Thrissur. Thrissur is the cultural capital of Kerala and Sakthan Thampuran is the very architect of Thrissur city. Thrissur Pooram was...

 signed a treaty with East Indian Company, and made Cochin a subsidiary of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

Independence Struggle

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 in to the freedom struggle. In 1927 Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...

 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
R. K. Shanmukham Chetty
Sir Ramasamy Chetty Kandasamy Shanmukham Chetty KCIE was an Indian lawyer, economist and politician who served as independent India's first finance minister from 1947 to 1949...

, 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 epicenter of Kerala politics. DR M R Menon, a minister in Government of Kochi was instrumental in building the Municipal Corporation Building, Thrissur
Municipal Corporation Building, Thrissur
The Municipal Corporation Building, Thrissur, is the seat of the Thrissur Municipal Corporation and is situated in the middle of Thrissur city, Kerala, India.-History :...

 and the Municipal Office Road. He even concerted Swaraj Round and other peripheries of the city road.

Modern History

In 1947, when India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 gained independence from the British rule, Thrissur was under Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...

. Thrissur district
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

 was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur city. The city was named as the "Cultural Capital of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

" by the Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...

. The city had been a breeding ground of famous politicians and bureaucrats like R. K. Shanmukham Chetty
R. K. Shanmukham Chetty
Sir Ramasamy Chetty Kandasamy Shanmukham Chetty KCIE was an Indian lawyer, economist and politician who served as independent India's first finance minister from 1947 to 1949...

, P.C. Rao, C. Achutha Menon
C. Achutha Menon
Chelat Achutha Menon was a senior leader of the Communist Party of India . He was the Chief Minister of Kerala state for two terms. The first term was from 1 November 1969 to 1 August 1970 and the second 4 October 1970 to 25 March 1977. Achutha Menon is widely considered as the best Chief Minister...

, K. Karunakaran, Joseph Mundassery
Joseph Mundassery
Joseph Mundassery was a renowned literary critic and Indian politician from Kerala state. He was one among the towering literary critics in the Malayalam language and literature...

, Vinod Rai
Vinod Rai
Vinod Rai is the present Comptroller and Auditor General of India. He assumed office on . He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Delhi, and Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University.He did his schooling from Vidya Niketan - Birla Public School - BPS Pilani...

 etc. after the independence. These individuals have changed the trajectory of Thrissur city afterwards.

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
Ayyanthole
Ayyanthole is the 52nd ward of Thrissur Municipal Corporation, in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Ayyanthole is the administrative center for the Thrissur District. Ayyanthole houses the various state governmental offices, as well as the District and Sessions Courts.-History:“Ayyanthole...

 from Chembukavu.Government Engineering College, Thrissur
Government Engineering College, Thrissur
The Government Engineering College Thrissur is a technical education institute in Kerala, India. It is the second oldest engineering college established in Kerala and the first engineering college to be established after the formation of Kerala State...

, is another gift from Joseph Mundassery
Joseph Mundassery
Joseph Mundassery was a renowned literary critic and Indian politician from Kerala state. He was one among the towering literary critics in the Malayalam language and literature...

, the controversial former education minister who introduced Kerala Education Act. C. Achutha Menon
C. Achutha Menon
Chelat Achutha Menon was a senior leader of the Communist Party of India . He was the Chief Minister of Kerala state for two terms. The first term was from 1 November 1969 to 1 August 1970 and the second 4 October 1970 to 25 March 1977. Achutha Menon is widely considered as the best Chief Minister...

, the former Chief Minister of Kerala gifted Kerala Agricultural University
Kerala Agricultural University
Kerala Agricultural University is the primary and the principal instrumentality of the Kerala state in providing human resources, and skills and technology, required for the sustainable development of its agriculture, defined broadly encompassing all production activities based on land and water,...

 in 1971, a university for all agricultural related activities.

K. Karunakaran, the Bhishmacharya of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 politics started his career in Thrissur as a painter. Later on he became the “Leader” of city. During his regime Thrissur-Guruvayur Section
Thrissur-Guruvayur Section
Thrissur-Guruvayur Section is a railway segment of Indian Railway functioning under Trivandrum Division of Southern Railway Zone. This is a single Broad Gauge line which begins at Thrissur city in Thrissur District and ends at Guruvayur in Thrissur District of Kerala. The 23 km section was...

 and Poonkunnam Over Bridge was built.Vinod Rai
Vinod Rai
Vinod Rai is the present Comptroller and Auditor General of India. He assumed office on . He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Delhi, and Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University.He did his schooling from Vidya Niketan - Birla Public School - BPS Pilani...

, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, is another person who turned fortunes of the city by building Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar)
Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar)
Sakthan Thampuran Nagar is one of the business districts of Thrissur city in Kerala state, South India. It was named after King of the Cochin, Sakthan Thampuran, the very architect of Thrissur. The second largest private bus station in Kerala is situated here...

 when he was collector of Thrissur district
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

. He is also known as the second Sakthan Thampuran
Sakthan Thampuran
Rama Varma Kunhjipilla Thampuran , or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran , was the ruler of Cochin. He was the King of Cochin and his palace was in Thrissur. Thrissur is the cultural capital of Kerala and Sakthan Thampuran is the very architect of Thrissur city. Thrissur Pooram was...

 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
Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur
The Sakthan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur, is the second largest private bus station in Kerala, India and is located at the southern part of the Thrissur city. It is the origin point of buses proceeding towards Thripryar, Manjeri, Kozhikode , Kunnamkulam, Irinjalakuda, Ollur, Guruvayoor,...

.

Geography

Thrissur is located at 10.52°N 76.21°E and has an average altitude of 2.83 metres. The city is located 75 km north-east of Kochi, 133 km south-west of Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....

 and 144 km south-east of Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...

. The city is located in midland regions of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, with an extended part of Palakkad plains. It is situated in hillock, which allows rain water to automatically drain out of the city. The city geologically is composed of Archaean gneisses and crystalline schists. Major parts of city is covered by Archaean rocks. Thrissur lies near the center of the Indian tectonic plate (the Indian Plate) and is subject to comparatively little seismic or volcanic activity.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

, Thrissur features a Tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate in climate classification, is a relatively rare type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category "Am."Tropical monsoon climates have monthly...

. Since the region lies in the south western coastal state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, the climate is tropical, with only minor differences in temperatures between day and night, as well as over the year. Summer lasts from March to May, and is followed by the South-west monsoon from June to September. October and November form the post monsoon or retreating monsoon season. Winter from December through February is slightly cooler, and windy, due to winds from the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

.

The city is drained in the monsoonal season by heavy showers. The average annual rainfall is 2500 mm. The South-west monsoon generally sets in during the last week of May. After July the rainfall decreases. On an average, there are 124 rainy days in a year. The maximum average temperature of the city in the summer season is 33 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature recorded is 22.5 degrees Celsius. The winter season records a maximum average of 29 degree Celsius and a minimum average of 20 degree Celsius.

Economy

Thrissur is home to many leading Malayali entrepreneurs, and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. Historians say that King Sakthan Thampuran
Sakthan Thampuran
Rama Varma Kunhjipilla Thampuran , or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran , was the ruler of Cochin. He was the King of Cochin and his palace was in Thrissur. Thrissur is the cultural capital of Kerala and Sakthan Thampuran is the very architect of Thrissur city. Thrissur Pooram was...

 had invited several Syrian Christian families and Brahmins to settle in Thrissur city from their business centers in adjoining areas. Soon, Thrissur became a flourishing centre of internal trade in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. Thrissur is one of the major manufacturing centers of plain gold and rolled gold jewelry in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

; up to 70% of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

's jewellery is manufactured in Thrissur. There are around 3,000 gold ornaments manufacturing units in the city and 40,000-odd artisans and others work in these units. The industry provides direct and indirect employment to 200,000 people in Thrissur. The artisans based in these units, craft nearly 85 percent of one tonne gold which is used per day in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. About 90 tonnes of gold was being used annually in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 for manufacturing of ornaments daily.

According to Reserve Bank of India
Reserve Bank of India
The Reserve Bank of India is the central banking institution of India and controls the monetary policy of the rupee as well as US$300.21 billion of currency reserves. The institution was established on 1 April 1935 during the British Raj in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of...

, the city in the 1930s boasted of head offices of 58 banks and was recognised by RBI as 'Banking Town'. Even now also it's the headquarters of major banks like South Indian Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank
Catholic Syrian Bank
Catholic Syrian Bank Limited is a private sector bank situated in Thrissur city of Kerala state in India. Catholic Syrian Bank has 363 branches, 1 extension counter and over 125 ATMs, and a net profit of Rs 36.56 crore in 2007-08 on revenues of Rs 50 crore...

, Dhanalakshmi Bank
Dhanalakshmi Bank
Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd is an old private sector bank headquartered in Thrissur city, Kerala, the "Cultural Capital of Kerala". It is headed by Amitabh Chaturvedi, Managing Director and CEO of the bank. The bank was focusing mostly on Southern states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and...

, Lord Krishna Bank
Lord Krishna Bank
Lord Krishna Bank was a private sector bank headquartered at Kodungallur, in Thrissur District of Kerala state in India. The bank was founded in 1940 and is one of the oldest private banks in India. In 1960, it acquired three commercial banks namely Kerala Union Bank, Thlyya Bank and Josna Bank. In...

 and non-banking institutions like Manappuram General Finance and Leasing Ltd
Manappuram General Finance and Leasing Ltd
Manappuram Finance Ltd or MFL is a non-banking financial company situated in Valapad, Thrissur, Kerala state. Manappuram has over 1,000 branches across 15 states, a staff strength of over 6,500 people and a customer base of over 5,000.-History:The company was founded in 1949 by late V.C....

, Kerala State Financial Enterprise
Kerala State Financial Enterprise
Kerala State Financial Enterprises Limited is a public sector non-banking financial company based in Kerala, India. It started functioning on November 6, 1969, with Thrissur as its headquarters. It started with a capital of Rs 2,00,000, 45 employees and 10 branches...

 and ESAF Microfinance and Investments
ESAF Microfinance and Investments
ESAF Microfinance and Investments Ltd is a Non Banking Financial Company registered with Reserve Bank of India , situated in Thrissur city, of Kerala State in India. It is promoted by ESAF India.Registered in 1992, the company serves over 2,30,000.clients that lack access to formal financial...

. The city’s financial capabilities also saw the rise of Chit fund
Chit Fund
A Chit fund is a kind of savings scheme practiced in India. A Chit fund company means a company managing, conducting or supervising, as foremen, agent or in any other capacity, chits as defined in Section 2 of the Chit Funds Act, 1982...

. According to All Kerala Kuri Foreman's Association, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 have around 5,000 chit companies, with Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

 accounting for the maximum of 3,000. These chit companies provide employment to about 35,000 persons directly and an equal number indirectly.
The city is also emerging as the largest hub for Ayurvedic drug manufacturing industry in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Out of the 850 ayurvedic drug-manufacturing units in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, about 150 units, including some of the major ayurvedic drug manufacturers in the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 state are located in and around the city. Of these, some of the companies like the Oushadhi
Oushadhi
Oushadhi is a 100% Government of Kerala owned Ayurvedic medicine manufacturing company situated in Kuttanellur, near Ollur, Thrissur city, Kerala state...

, Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala
Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala
Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala is an ayurvedic pharmaceutical company situated in Thaikkattusseri, near Ollur, Thrissur city in Kerala state.It is managed by Thaikkattusseri Eledathu Thaikkattu Family, one among the Ashtavaidya families of Kerala.Vaidyaratnam runs a nursing home and an Ayurvedic Medical...

, KP Namboodiris
KP Namboodiris
KP Namboodiris is an ayurvedic medicine manufacturing company situated in Thrissur city of Kerala State in India. It have also interest in personal care and health care products....

, Sitaram Ayurvedic Pharmacy Ltd
Sitaram Ayurvedic Pharmacy Ltd
Sitaram Ayurveda Pharmacy Ltd is an Ayurvedic company which manufactures medicines in Thrissur, Kerala state. It is the first Ayurvedic company in India to get Good Manufacturing Practice Certificate for its production facility in Thrissur...

,
Kandamkulathy Vaidyasala, SNA Oushadhasala etc. are among the leading ayurvedic drug manufacturers in the state.Thrissur Ayurveda Cluster
Thrissur Ayurveda Cluster
Thrissur Ayurveda cluster is an Ayurveda cluster situated in KINFRA Park in Koratty in Thrissur District. The cluster is meant for a comprehensive development of Kerala brand of Ayurvedic products and train the manufacturers of Ayurveda products on the importance of safety, quality and efficacy...

, anonther initiative by a group of Ayurvedic manufacturers of Thrissur, has developed a cluster in KINFRA Park in Koratty
Koratty
Koratty is a census town in Thrissur district in the Indian state of Kerala.- Demographics :As of 2001 India census, Koratty had a population of 17,463. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Koratty has an average literacy rate of 85%, higher than the national average of 59.5%:...

 in Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

.

Modern retailing is a big business and revenue earner for the city. Jewellery and textile retailing occupies a major part of the retailing business in Thrissur. The city is considered as hub of jewellery and textile business in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. Most of the jewellery groups have outlets in Thrissur and provide jobs to thousands of people. Kalyan Group
Kalyan Group
Kalyan Group is a holding company for the brands of Kalyan Silks, Kalyan Sarees, Kalyan Jewellers and Kalyan Collections. It is headquartered in Thrissur city of Kerala state of India...

, Jos Alukka & Sons
Jos Alukka & Sons
Jos Alukka & Sons is one of the largest Indian jewellery retailing groups in the Southern India. It is based in Thrissur, Kerala, India. The group got bifurcated from the Thrissur-based group Alukkas Jewellery in 2001....

, Joyalukkas, Josco Group, Seemas Wedding Collections, Pulimoottil Silks, Emmanuval Silks, Sree Lakshmi Silks, Fashion Fabrics, Elite Fabrics, Elite Sareee House, Modern Silks, Manshire, Lakshmi Silks, Kalima Collections and Chakola Silkhouse are the few to name.InfoPark Thrissur
Infopark Thrissur
InfoPark Thrissur is a technology park situated in Koratty of Thrissur District in Kerala. It is the third technology park in Kerala after Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. The park is 45 KM from Kochi and 35 KM from Thrissur and around 14 KM from the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery. It is...

, the third technology park in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 after Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...

 and Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...

 is situated in Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

.

Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 has also contributed heavily to the economy of Thrissur. Domestic tourists generally use the city as a hub to explore the highly promoted tourism industry of the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. The city with its temples, old churches and its culture, is ranked first in the number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

.

Civic administration

Thrissur City officials
Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

I.P. Paul
I.P. Paul
I.P. Paul is an Indian National Congress politician from Thrissur city, India, and the third mayor of Thrissur Municipal Corporation.-References:...

Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...

Subi Babu
Police Commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...

P. Vijayan




Thrissur functioned as a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 since 1921 under the Cochin Municipal Regulations. The municipality had 12.64 sqkm area. Prior to the constitution of the municipality, there was a Sanitary Board functioning in 1910 under a Sergeant and the Town Council after 1911. In 1932, the new corporation building was constructed and in 1972, new areas from other Panchayats were added to the municipality. In 1992, the Government of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 and Thrissur municipality approved the new master plan for the new corporation. On October 1, 2000, the Municipal town was upgraded to the level of a Municipal Corporation with the Panchayats of Ayyanthole
Ayyanthole
Ayyanthole is the 52nd ward of Thrissur Municipal Corporation, in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Ayyanthole is the administrative center for the Thrissur District. Ayyanthole houses the various state governmental offices, as well as the District and Sessions Courts.-History:“Ayyanthole...

, Koorkkenchery, Nadathara
Nadathara
Nadathara is a census town in Thrissur district in the Indian state of Kerala. Nadathara is Ward 22 of Thrissur Municipal Corporation.-Demographics: India census, Nadathara had a population of 12,593. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%...

, Vilvattom (part), Ollur
Ollur
Ollur is a major suburban area and an old commercial town in the Thrissur district of Kerala state, South India. It is situated about 5 km away from Swaraj Round on National Highway 47 commonly referred to as NH47 towards Ernakulam. From ancient time onwards Ollur was a major business centre...

 and Ollukkara
Ollukkara
Ollukara is a major residential area in the Thrissur City of Kerala state, South India. It is situated between Paravattaani and Mannuthy on Palakkad Road. Ollukkara is only from Swaraj Round, the heart of the city. Ollukkara is Ward 15 of Thrissur Municipal Corporation....

. The Corporation comprises three legislative assemblies Thrissur, Ollur
Ollur
Ollur is a major suburban area and an old commercial town in the Thrissur district of Kerala state, South India. It is situated about 5 km away from Swaraj Round on National Highway 47 commonly referred to as NH47 towards Ernakulam. From ancient time onwards Ollur was a major business centre...

 and Cherpu
Cherpu
Cherpu is a small village in Thrissur district of Kerala state in south India. It is 12 kilometres south of Thrissur town and is on the Thriprayar road...

.
The city is administered by the Thrissur Municipal Corporation, headed by a Mayor. Thrissur Municipal Corporation
Thrissur Municipal Corporation
The Thrissur Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs the city of Thrissur in Kerala, India. It is the second-largest city corporation in the state of Kerala by area...

 is the second-largest city corporation in the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. The city is the only local body and city in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 which directly controls power, water supply and solid waste management system in the Thrissur city. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 52 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. The Corporation has its headquarters in Thrissur. The corporation is also responsible for waste disposal and sewage management.
The first Master Plan for Thrissur city was sanctioned by the Government in October 1972 with a plan period of 20 years in accordance with the Town Planning Act. It was expected that the town would accommodate a population of 175,000 in 1991. The sanctioned Development Plan (1972) for Thrissur envisaged a growth pattern integrating rural areas and the urban center of Thrissur so as to provide the rural areas with employment opportunities and social amenities. The Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD) and Thrissur Development Authority (TDA) are the agencies that prepare the plan.

Law & Order

The city is the headquarters of Thrissur City Police
Thrissur City Police
Thrissur City Police , a division of the Kerala Police, is the law enforcement agency for the city of Thrissur and the temple town of Guruvayoor. The city police force is headed by a Commissioner of Police, an IPS officer, and the administrative control vests with the Home Ministry of Kerala...

 and Thrissur Rural Police. The Thrissur City Police
Thrissur City Police
Thrissur City Police , a division of the Kerala Police, is the law enforcement agency for the city of Thrissur and the temple town of Guruvayoor. The city police force is headed by a Commissioner of Police, an IPS officer, and the administrative control vests with the Home Ministry of Kerala...

 is headed by a Police Commissioner, an Indian Police Service
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...

 (IPS) officer. The city is divided into two sub divisions, Thrissur and Guruvayur. It also operates 12 police stations, including a woman police station and a traffic police station. Thrissur is also the headquarters of Inspector General of Police, Thrissur Range, which looks after the law and order of Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

, Palakkad District
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...

 and Malappuram district. All the Superintendent of Police of these three districts come under his jurisdiction. The city also houses Kerala Police Academy
Kerala Police Academy
Kerala Police Academy is situated in Ramavarmapuram in Thrissur city which began functioning in May, 2004. The Academy runs full-term basic courses for sub-inspectors, constables, women constables, drivers and telecommunication wing constables. It also runs short-term courses and in-service...

, Central Prison, Viyyur
Central Prison, Viyyur
Central Prison, Viyyur, is situated in Thrissur in Kerala state of India. It is authorised to accommodate 520 prisoners. It is one of the three central prisons other than Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, situated in Kerala. The prison has a separate library building and a well stocked library which...

,Police Dog Training Center
Police Dog Training Center
Police Dog Training Center is situated in Kerala Police Academy, in Thrissur of Kerala State in India. It is one of the dog training centre in South India. It was established in January, 24, 2008. The academy trains dogs for Kerala Police. The dog training centre can accommodate 30 dogs at a time...

 and Excise Academy and Research Centre
Excise Academy and Research Centre
Excise Academy and Research Centre is situated in Poothole in Thrissur city, Kerala, India. The academy trains the entire staff of Kerala Excise Department. Spread over an area of three acres, the academy gives a centralised training for Excise staff. Earlier, the Excise staff used to train at the...

. India Reserve Battalion, new commando unit of Kerala Police
Kerala Police
The Kerala State Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Kerala, India. Kerala Police has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The Police training college was set up by Travancore Maharaja in Thiruvananthapuram in mid 20th centuary. In 2004,a larger Kerala...

 is headquartered in Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram
Ramavarmapuram is the northern suburb of Thrissur City in Kerala. This suburban area is home to several governmental and other institutions of national importance. The largest menhir type megalithic monument in granite in Kerala is found here. A local catholic church has recently been adorned with...

. Border Security Force
Border Security Force
The Border Security Force is a border patrol agency of the Government of India. Established on December 1, 1965, it is one of the Central Armed Police Forces. Its primary role is to guard India's international borders during peacetime and also prevent transnational crime...

 have its first centre in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 in Thrissur only.

Demographics

India census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Thrissur city had a population of 325,474. Males constitute 48.6% and females constitute 51.4% of the total population. The density of population is 3,130/km2. The sex ratio is 1,092/1,000 male. The total number of the households in the city is 66,827. The average family size in the city is 4.27 members. The city has a slum population equivalent to 0.30% of the total city population and 0.37% of the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

's slum population. The city has an average literacy rate of 95.5%: male literacy rate is 97% whereas female literacy rate is 94.6%. Thrissur Municipal Corporation
Thrissur Municipal Corporation
The Thrissur Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs the city of Thrissur in Kerala, India. It is the second-largest city corporation in the state of Kerala by area...

 has a population of 317,474 (2001) spread over an area of 101.42 km2. The city alone accounts for 38% of the urban population in the Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

. Thrissur Development Authority area encompasses the Municipal Corporation area and adjoining gram (village) Panchayats. The total area under Municipal Corporation jurisdiction is 101.42 km2, and the area under the Panchayats is 18.83 km2 Together, these constitute an area covering 120.25 km2. According to the 2011 census, the total population in the TDA is 344,933 i.e., 317,474 persons in the municipal corporation area and 27,459 persons in the Panchayat area. Thrissur city alone accounts for 38% of the urban population in the Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...

.

Politics

Thrissur has played a significant part in the political history of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

. The city of Thrissur is represented in the Kerala State Assembly by two elected members, one from Thrissur Assembly Constituency
Thrissur Assembly Constituency
Thrissur Assembly Constituency is a legislative assembly constituency in the Indian state of Kerala.-Kerala Legislative Assembly:...

 and another from Ollur Assembly Constituency
Ollur Assembly Constituency
Ollur Assembly Constituency is a legislative assembly constituency in the Indian state of Kerala.Ollur is a citadel of Indian National Congress for a long time but occasionally it had gone to Communist Party of India. The Ollur Assembly Constituency has 84,452 male and 90,027 female voters. The...

. Therambil Ramakrishnan
Therambil Ramakrishnan
Therambil Ramakrishnan is a lawyer and an Indian National Congress politician from Thrissur and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Thrissur to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1982, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. He was the former Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly from 1995–96, 2004–2006....

 is the representative of Thrissur Assembly Constituency
Thrissur Assembly Constituency
Thrissur Assembly Constituency is a legislative assembly constituency in the Indian state of Kerala.-Kerala Legislative Assembly:...

 and M.P Vincent
M.P Vincent
M.P Vincent is an Indian National Congress politician from Thrissur and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ollur Assembly Constituency to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2011.-References:...

 from
Ollur Assembly Constituency
Ollur Assembly Constituency
Ollur Assembly Constituency is a legislative assembly constituency in the Indian state of Kerala.Ollur is a citadel of Indian National Congress for a long time but occasionally it had gone to Communist Party of India. The Ollur Assembly Constituency has 84,452 male and 90,027 female voters. The...

. Thrissur is also a part of the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency and elects a member to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...

 of India, once every five years. The current MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 is P. C. Chacko
P. C. Chacko
P. C. Chacko is the Member of Parliament from Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. He belongs to Indian National Congress. He was a minister in Kerala.- Biography :...

. The Lok Sabha seat has been held by the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...

 for six terms (1951-1957, 1984-1989, 1989-1991, 1991-1996, 1999-2004 and 2009-2012) and the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...

 for nine terms (1957-1962, 1962-1967, 1967-1970, 1971-1977, 1977-1979, 1980-1984, 1996-1997, 1998-1999 and 2004-2009).

Transport

Road

Thrissur is connected to the North-South Corridor National Highway System via the four-laned 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
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...

, Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...

 and Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....

. NH 47 provides two main exit points at Mannuthy
Mannuthy
Mannuthy is suburb area on National Highway 47 of Thrissur city of Kerala, India. Mannuthy is Ward 13 of Thrissur Municipal Corporation. Mannuthy is also a center for many of the government and private educational institutions...

 and Thalore
Thalore
-Etymology:Since Thalore is situated at a slightly higher altitude compared to neighbouring villages it got the name Thaloor from the two Malayalam words തല and ഊര്. Thaloor later became Thalore.-Geography:...

 to the Thrissur city. The city is largely dependent on private buses, Taxis
Taxis
A taxis is an innate behavioral response by an organism to a directional stimulus or gradient of stimulus intensity. A taxis differs from a tropism in that the organism has motility and demonstrates guided movement towards or away from the stimulus source ...

 and auto rickshaws (called autos) for public transport. State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.-History:...

 (KSRTC) runs inter-state, inter-district and city services. Thrissur has three bus stations, the Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur
Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur
The Sakthan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur, is the second largest private bus station in Kerala, India and is located at the southern part of the Thrissur city. It is the origin point of buses proceeding towards Thripryar, Manjeri, Kozhikode , Kunnamkulam, Irinjalakuda, Ollur, Guruvayoor,...

 in Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar)
Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar)
Sakthan Thampuran Nagar is one of the business districts of Thrissur city in Kerala state, South India. It was named after King of the Cochin, Sakthan Thampuran, the very architect of Thrissur. The second largest private bus station in Kerala is situated here...

; the Vadakke Stand (Northern Bus Stand) and the Thrissur KSRTC Bus Station
Thrissur KSRTC Bus Station
State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation Thrissur Bus Station is situated in Kokkalai in the heart of the Thrissur city. The bus station is very near to the Thrissur Railway Station. It runs long distance, inter-state and city services. It is a particularly important station because of...

 near the Thrissur Railway Station
Thrissur Railway Station
Thrissur Railway Station is the busiest railway station in Kerala in terms of number of trains, located in Thrissur, India. As of 2006, 55 pairs of trains passed through the station on an average day...

. State Highway (SH 69)
State Highway 69 (Kerala)
State Highway 69 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Thrissur and ends in Thrikkanapuram. The highway is 52.65 km long.- The Route Map :...

 Thrissur-Kuttippuram
Kuttippuram
Kuttippuram is a town and is situated in the Malappuram district of Kerala state, India. The Bharathappuzha river flows through Kuttippuram. Kuttippuram railway station is an important railway station in Malappuram district...

 Road, SH 22
State Highway 22 (Kerala)
State Highway 22 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Kodungallur and ends at State Highway 23. The highway is 70.5 km long.- The Route Map :...

 Kodungallur
Kodungallur
Kodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...

 - Shornur Road, SH 75
State Highway 75 (Kerala)
State Highway 75 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Thrissur and ends in Vadanappally. The highway is 16.12 km long....

 Thrissur - Kanjani - Vadanappally
Vadanappally
Vadanappilly is a panchayat & village in Thrissur district, in the state of Kerala, India....

 Road are the three state highways which connect city with its suburbs and municipalities.

Railway

The Southern Railway
Southern Railway Zone (India)
The Southern Railway is the earliest of the 16 zones of the Indian Railways created in independent India. It was created on April 14, 1951 by merging three state railways namely Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway. The South Indian Railway...

 Zone of the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....

 operates the main rail transport system in Thrissur. There are four railway stations in Thrissur city. Thrissur Railway Station
Thrissur Railway Station
Thrissur Railway Station is the busiest railway station in Kerala in terms of number of trains, located in Thrissur, India. As of 2006, 55 pairs of trains passed through the station on an average day...

, one of the busiest stations in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 provides trains to three directions and lies on the busy Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section.
It has a satellite station, Poonkunnam Railway Station
Poonkunnam Railway Station
Punkunnam Railway Station falls between Thrissur Railway Station and Mulankunnathukavu Railway station in the Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section. It lies in the busy Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section of Trivandrum division. Punkunnam Railway Station is operated by the Chennai-headquartered Southern...

 and two minor stations, Ollur Railway Station
Ollur Railway Station
Ollur Railway Station falls between Thrissur Railway Station and Pudukad Railway station in the Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section. It lies in the busy Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section of Trivandrum division. Ollur Railway Station is operated by the Chennai-headquartered Southern Railways of the Indian...

 and Mulankunnathukavu Railway Station
Mulankunnathukavu Railway Station
Mulankunnathukavu Railway Station falls between Wadakkancherry Railway Station and Poonkunnam Railway Station in the Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section. It lies in the busy Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section of Trivandrum division. Mulankunnathukavu Railway Station is operated by the...

. Thrissur Railway Station
Thrissur Railway Station
Thrissur Railway Station is the busiest railway station in Kerala in terms of number of trains, located in Thrissur, India. As of 2006, 55 pairs of trains passed through the station on an average day...

 also connects to the temple town of Guruvayur
Guruvayur
Guruvayur is a municipal town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It houses the famous Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple, the fourth biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per day.-History:Guruvayur, according to the legends may be 5,000 years old as the Guruvayur...

 by Thrissur-Guruvayur Section
Thrissur-Guruvayur Section
Thrissur-Guruvayur Section is a railway segment of Indian Railway functioning under Trivandrum Division of Southern Railway Zone. This is a single Broad Gauge line which begins at Thrissur city in Thrissur District and ends at Guruvayur in Thrissur District of Kerala. The 23 km section was...

. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Thrissur to Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...

 and Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...

 using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit services (MEMU
MEMU
MEMU is a commuter rail system in India operated by the Indian Railway.The system uses Mainline Electrical Multiple Units operating on Alternating Current drawn from over-head cables through the catenary system....

), with the first services are expected to begin in late 2010 or early 2011 for which works are underway.

Air

Thrissur city is served by Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport is an international airport located in Nedumbassery, a suburb on the outskirts of the city of Kochi about northeast of downtown Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala...

 (Nedumbassery
Nedumbassery
Nedumbassery is a suburb of the city of Kochi situated north of the city and from Thrissur in Kerala, India. The town lies between the two municipalities of Aluva and Angamaly in the Greater Cochin region. It has a population of 28,607 as on 2001, with a sex-ratio of 1012 females to 1000 males...

), which is about 55 kilometers away. Direct domestic flights are available to major Indian cities like Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...

, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

 and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

. International flights to Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 cities like Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

, Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...

, Sharja
Sharjah (city)
Sharjah is the third largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the seat of government of the emirate of Sharjah...

, Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...

, Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...

, Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...

 and to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

n cities Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 and Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

 are available here. It has a dedicated Heli-taxi service and Chartered flights. Calicut International Airport
Calicut International Airport
Calicut International Airport , also known as Karipur Airport, is an International Airport serving the city of Kozhikode , Kerala, India. The airport is located in Karipur, Malappuram district about from the Kozhikode Railway Station and from the city of Malappuram, with the closest railway...

 at Karipur
Karipur
Karipur is a small town in Malappuram district of Kerala, south India. The place is best known as the site of the international airport of Kozhikode , serving the needs of travellers in the north Kerala region....

, is 80 kilometers from the city and Coimbatore Airport
Coimbatore Airport
Coimbatore Airport is a customs airport located at Peelamedu, Coimbatore. It was previously known as Coimbatore Civil Aerodrome. It is about from the city center. It is located along Peelamedu and Neelambur, with passenger entry at Neelambur and cargo entry at Peelamedu...

, which is 114 kilometers from the city also can be used by travelers. Thrissur has a helipad
Helipad
Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...

 at Lulu Convention Centre
Lulu Convention Centre
The Lulu Convention Centre is located at Puzhakkal, in Thrissur city of Kerala state. The 5,000-seat convention centre was built by EMKE Group of Industries. Some of the interior architecture was by Evolution Interior Architecture...

 as per international aviation standards which is used by VVIPs.

Distance Chart: Thrissur to major towns/cities and pilgrimage/tourist centers

City/Town Distance (km) City/Town!! Distance (km) City/Town!! Distance (km) City/Town!! Distance (km) City/Town!! Distance (km)
Alappuzha 130 Kanyakumari 369 Kozhikode 125 Mysore 265 Thiruvananthapuram 280
Bangalore 468 Kannur 218 Punalur 220 Kumarakom 131 Ooty 198
Chennai 603 Kochi 71 Madurai 280 Palakkad 65 Varkala 245
Coimbatore 118 Kochi Airport 59 Mangalore 359 Panaji (Goa) 735
Delhi 2496 Kollam 213 Mumbai 1311 Sabarimala 205
Guruvayoor 27 Kottayam 135 Munnar 159 Thekkady 213

Culture and literature

Festivals

Known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, Thrissur enjoys a thriving cultural tradition dating back to centuries, and being the centre of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

's cultural activities. Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram
Pooram is one of the nakshatras or star in the Hindu panchangam. There are 27 Nakshatras in the Hindu panchangam and a million or more temples in Kerala, and this combination creates numerous possibilities for auspicious occasions, with each temple having varying importance for the different stars...

 also called as 'the pooram
Pooram
Pooram is an annual temple festival held in central Kerala after the summer harvest. Most pooram festivals have at least one ornately decorated elephant being paraded in the procession taken out of the temple precincts...

 of all poorams' is celebrated in every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....

. It is the biggest of all poorams held in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. 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
Puli Kali
Puli Kali also known as Kaduvakali is a colorful recreational folk art from the state of Kerala. It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala...

 also known as Kaduvakali 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
Onam
Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam and lasts for ten days...

, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

.

The most important festivals celebrated in the city include Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

, Onam
Onam
Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam and lasts for ten days...

, Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

, Eid
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...

 and Vishu
Vishu
Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala, usually on April 14 of the Gregorian calendar. This occasion signifies the Sun's transit into the Mesha Raasi , according to Indian astrological calculations, and represents the vernal equinox...

. 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
Vadakkunnathan Temple
Vadakkunnathan Temple , also known as Thenkailasam and Vrishabhachalam, is an ancient Shiva temple located at the heart of Thrissur city. This temple is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture and has formidable gopurams on all four sides and also a Koothambalam. Mural paintings that...

 in the city annually. The ceremony is conducted on the first day of the Malayalam month of Karkidakam.

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 hopper is another dish which is special to the city.

Temples Mosques and churches

The Vadakkunnathan temple
Vadakkunnathan Temple
Vadakkunnathan Temple , also known as Thenkailasam and Vrishabhachalam, is an ancient Shiva temple located at the heart of Thrissur city. This temple is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture and has formidable gopurams on all four sides and also a Koothambalam. Mural paintings that...

 believed to have been founded by the legendary saint Parasurama, is a classic example of the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 style of architecture and houses several sacred shrines and with beautiful murals delineating graphically, various episodes from the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple is one of the largest Krishna temples in Kerala. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple is located in Thrissur in Kerala, South India and is considered to be over 1000 years old....

, one of the largest Sree Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...

 temples in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 and Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple which is one of the largest Bagavathi
Bagavathi
Bhagavathi is a Tamil film starring Vijay and Reema Sen. It was directed by A. Venkatesh and released in 2002.-Plot:Bhagavathi , owns a tea shop cum hotel near Chennai High court lives with the aim of bringing up his younger brother Guna as a doctor. He also befriends a modern girl Anjali who is...

 temples in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 is also situated in the city. Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

's highest church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours
Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours
Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours is a minor basilica of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Thrissur in the Indian state of Kerala. The biggest and tallest church in Asia, it is famous for its Gothic style architecture...

 (Puthan Pally), Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral
Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral
Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the largest churches in Kerala, is located in the heart of Thrissur city in the state of Kerala, India. Dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, the Roman Catholic church is noted for its imposing interior. The main attraction is an underground shrine,...

 which has an underground shrine, is a masterpiece of architecture. The Mart Mariam Big Church
Mart Mariam Big Church
Mart Mariam Cathedral is the cathedral of the Chaldean Syrian Church of India, part of the Assyrian Church of the East. It is located in Thrissur in the state of Kerala, and is the city's first Christian church....

, Indian headquarters of Assyrian Church of the East
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...

, are also situated at Thrissur. St. Anthony's Forane Church
St. Anthony's Forane Church
The St. Anthony's Forane Church is located at Ollur in Kerala, India. The church belongs to Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur. According to rough figures there are around 4,000 Christian families in the parish...

, also known as Chinna Roma (Small Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

), is also situated in Thrissur.

Education

Already known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, it is also fast developing as an education hub of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. The city has traditionally been a centre of learning from ancient times. With the decline of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

 and Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...

 and due to the growing supremacy of Brahminism during the revival of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

, the city became an important centre of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 learning. Schools in Thrissur city are either run publicly by the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 Government or privately, some with financial aid from the government. The medium of education is either English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 or Malayalam, with the former being the majority. Most schools are affiliated with the Kerala State Education Board
Kerala State Education Board
The State Council Educational Research and Training , Kerala is a board of school education in India, conducted by the Government of the state of Kerala, India. The board prepares the syllabus for schools affiliated with it...

 or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE examination is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of school education in India, for class 10, i.e., grade 10...

 (ICSE) or the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) or the National Institute of Open Schooling
National Institute of Open Schooling
The National Institute of Open Schooling , is the Board of Education for open schools in India. It was established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India in 1989 to provide education inexpensively to remote areas...

 (NIOS) or the Montessori system. There are 93 lower primary schools; 34 upper primary schools; and 78 high schools; and 157 higher secondary schools in the city.

With universities like Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam , lately renamed as Kalamandalam Deemed University of Art and Culture, is a major centre for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the southern state of India, with the special emphasis on Kerala. It is situated in the village of Cheruthuruthy in...

, Kerala Police Academy
Kerala Police Academy
Kerala Police Academy is situated in Ramavarmapuram in Thrissur city which began functioning in May, 2004. The Academy runs full-term basic courses for sub-inspectors, constables, women constables, drivers and telecommunication wing constables. It also runs short-term courses and in-service...

, Kerala Agricultural University
Kerala Agricultural University
Kerala Agricultural University is the primary and the principal instrumentality of the Kerala state in providing human resources, and skills and technology, required for the sustainable development of its agriculture, defined broadly encompassing all production activities based on land and water,...

, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences
Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences
Kerala University of Health Sciences is a medical university situated in Thrissur City in Kerala State of India. Mulankunnathukavu, Thrissur is the headquarters of the university. The university would be located in on the Government Medical College, Thrissur campus. The University was established...

 and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Kerala Institute of Local Administration is an autonomous training, research and consultancy organisation constituted under the Ministry of Local Self Government, Government of Kerala, registered as per Travancore – Cochin Literacy, Scientific and Charitable Societies Act-1995...

, the city would add another feather in its crown by having 'World Class University' and a 'Science City'. With the three medical colleges, Government Medical College, Thrissur
Government Medical College, Thrissur
Government Medical College Thrissur, established in 1982 is presently one of the leading centers in medical education in Kerala. Recently it is upgraded to the status of Kerala University of Health Sciences which began functioning in the campus in 2009...

, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute
Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute
Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute is a private medical college located at Thrissur in Kerala, India. The establishment is administered by the Jubilee Mission Hospital Trust, a charitable organization under the Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur.-History:The hospital was...

, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences
Amala Institute of Medical Sciences
Amala Institute of Medical Sciences is a private medical college near Amalanagar, in Thrissur city, of Kerala state. It is a Christian minority institution established and administered by the Devamatha Province of CMI Congregation founded by Blessed Cyriac Elias Chavara...

 and a medical university Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences
Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences
Kerala University of Health Sciences is a medical university situated in Thrissur City in Kerala State of India. Mulankunnathukavu, Thrissur is the headquarters of the university. The university would be located in on the Government Medical College, Thrissur campus. The University was established...

, the city has become synonymous with medical education in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. Colleges for engineering, law, veterinary, ayurveda, science, arts and commerce degrees are typically affiliated with the University of Calicut
University of Calicut
The University of Calicut is an affiliating university in the southern state of Kerala in India. It is situated in Thenjipalam, in the district of Malappuram with a number of off-campus centres in neighbouring districts. The University conducts courses and examinations for the students of the...

 like IES College of Engineering
IES College of Engineering
IES College of Engineering is an engineering college situated in Chittilappilly, Thrissur city. The college is run Ideal Education Society. The college is affiliated to All India Council for Technical Education New Delhi, and the University of Calicut....

, Government Engineering College, Thrissur
Government Engineering College, Thrissur
The Government Engineering College Thrissur is a technical education institute in Kerala, India. It is the second oldest engineering college established in Kerala and the first engineering college to be established after the formation of Kerala State...

, St. Mary's College, Thrissur, St. Thomas College, Thrissur
St. Thomas College, Thrissur
St. Thomas College, Thrissur is located in Thrissur city, the cultural capital of Kerala State, India. Founded by Mar Adolph Medlycott in 1889, this college played a very important role in the development of Kerala. It gave birth to the thoughts of the communist leader and Kerala's first chief...

, Sree Kerala Varma College
Sree Kerala Varma college
Sree Kerala Varma College is situated in Thrissur city of Kerala State, India. It was founded in 1947 by Rama Varma XV, the Maharaja of erstwhile Kochi State. The college was initially under the Madras University. Now it is affiliated to the University of Calicut...

, Sri C. Achutha Menon Government College
Sri C. Achutha Menon Government College
Sri C. Achutha Menon Government College is situated in Kuttanellur, in Thrissur city of Kerala in India. The college is affiliated to the University of Calicut and has hostel facilities...

, St. Aloysius College, Thrissur
St. Aloysius College, Thrissur
St. Aloysius College, Thrissur is situated in Elthuruth, Thrissur city of Kerala state. It is a first grade college affiliated to the University of Calicut. It is run by the congregation of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate . The college is administered by St...

, Kerala Veterinary College, Mannuthy
Kerala Veterinary College, Mannuthy
College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences is located on the NH 47 at Mannuthy, a suburb of Thrissur. The college came into existence in 1955 as Government Veterinary College. The college was inaugurated by then Chief Minister Sri E M S Namboothiripad. Initially, the college was affiliated to...

, Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College
Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College
Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College is situated in Thaikkattussery near Ollur, Thrissur city, of Kerala state. The college is affiliated to the University of Calicut and offers B.A.M.S. degree...

, Vimala College
Vimala College
Vimala College is a Christian college in Thrissur of Kerala state, India. It was established in 1967 after bifurcating St. Mary's College, Thrissur. The college is under the management of the Nirmala Province, Thrissur, of the Congregation of Mother Carmel in the Roman Catholic Church...

,Government Law College, Thrissur
Government Law College, Thrissur
Government Law College, Thrissur is situated in Ayyanthole. It is the fourth Government law college in Kerala and is owned by the Government of Kerala and affiliated to University of Calicut. The college caters to the needs of Thrissur District, Palakkad District and Malappuram District of Kerala....

, College of Fine Arts, Thrissur
College of Fine Arts, Thrissur
Government College of Fine Arts, Thrissur is a fine arts college situated in Thrissur of Kerala, state, India.-Alumnus:* K. Karunakaran, former Chief Minister and veteran politician of Kerala* Artist Namboothiri* P.N. Menon* Bharathan* CT Thomas...

 and College of Horticulture
College of Horticulture
The College of Horticulture, is a constituent college of Kerala Agricultural University, situated in Thrissur of Kerala state in India. The College of Horticulture imparts agricultural education at undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. The college has 16 departments and 7 centres undertaking...

.

The city also has emerged as the prime centre in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

 for students seeking entry into the professional courses. As many as 17,000 students, mostly from parts of Kerala and some from outside, are undergoing coaching at the P.C. Thomas Centre, the largest coaching center for engineering and medical entrance exams in Kerala, run by Professor P C Thomas. The presence of such a huge number of migrant students has almost reshaped the economic structure of the city and brought good times to traders, hotels and transport and entertainment industries.

Healthcare

Thrissur serves as a centre for healthcare in the Central Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. This portion covers Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and northern part of Ernakulam. Most of the people in these districts come to Thrissur city for their medical care. There are three medical colleges, Government Medical College, Thrissur
Government Medical College, Thrissur
Government Medical College Thrissur, established in 1982 is presently one of the leading centers in medical education in Kerala. Recently it is upgraded to the status of Kerala University of Health Sciences which began functioning in the campus in 2009...

, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences
Amala Institute of Medical Sciences
Amala Institute of Medical Sciences is a private medical college near Amalanagar, in Thrissur city, of Kerala state. It is a Christian minority institution established and administered by the Devamatha Province of CMI Congregation founded by Blessed Cyriac Elias Chavara...

 and Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute
Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute
Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute is a private medical college located at Thrissur in Kerala, India. The establishment is administered by the Jubilee Mission Hospital Trust, a charitable organization under the Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur.-History:The hospital was...

, and few other hi-tech hospitals.

Thrissur has an ancient tradition of Ayurvedic treatment. From the Ashtavaidya tradition, Thaikkattu Mooss Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala, SNA Oushadhasala, Vaidyamadhaom Vaidyasala etc. are located in Thrissur, and http://amalaayurveda.orgAmala Ayurvedic Hospital & Research Centre
Amala Institute of Medical Sciences
Amala Institute of Medical Sciences is a private medical college near Amalanagar, in Thrissur city, of Kerala state. It is a Christian minority institution established and administered by the Devamatha Province of CMI Congregation founded by Blessed Cyriac Elias Chavara...

]. All these firms have been instrumental in spreading the fame of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 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 specialty hospital in the Thrissur, envisaged as the first of its kind Ayurveda super specialty hospital in the country. SNA Oushadhasala is also planning a 100-bedded modern Ayurvedic hospital with modern cottages near the present SNA Nursing Home. Besides, SNA is also planning to set up a modernized exclusive Ayurvedic manuscript library.

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in Thrissur city. The N.I. David Memorial Trophy
N.I. David Memorial Trophy
N.I. David Memorial Trophy is an annual inter-club football tournament held at Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium, Thrissur. The football championship was started in 1996 by the then Superintendent of Police, Thrissur, in memory of N. I. David IPS who died in harness in the office of the...

, an annual inter-club football tournament is held at Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium
Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium
Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium is football stadium owned by Thrissur Municipal Corporation. Situated in Thrissur city, it is also known as Palace Stadium. It is one of the oldest stadiums in Kerala, India and have a capacity to hold 15,000 people. The stadium was the home ground for...

. The football championship was started in 1996 by the then Superintendent of Police, Thrissur. The city has a floodlit stadium, known as Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium
Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium
Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium is football stadium owned by Thrissur Municipal Corporation. Situated in Thrissur city, it is also known as Palace Stadium. It is one of the oldest stadiums in Kerala, India and have a capacity to hold 15,000 people. The stadium was the home ground for...

. There are three more stadiums (Thope, Kerala Varma College and Agricultural University). It also has two indoor stadiums (V.K.N. Menon Indoor Stadium and Thope Stadium) and a Sports Authority of India (SAI) maintained swimming pool with international facilities. The veteran footballers and former Indian captains C. V. Pappachan
C. V. Pappachan
C. V. Pappachan is a former Indian football player from Thrissur, Kerala. He captained India in a couple of tournaments.-Career:Born in Parappur in Thrissur district, Pappachan turned professional in 1982 and played as a striker. Prior to being recurited for Kerala Police team by the then DGP M. K...

, I. M. Vijayan
I. M. Vijayan
Inivalappil Mani Vijayan is one of the leading Indian football players of modern times. Playing in the striker position, he formed a successful attacking partnership with Baichung Bhutia for the Indian national team in the late nineties and early 2000's...

 and Jo Paul Ancheri
Jo Paul Ancheri
Jo Paul Ancheri is a leading Indian football player and was the former Indian Football team Captain. He was named the AIFF Player of the Year by the All India Football Federation in 1994 and 2001.-Career:...

 hail from this city. Thrissur has contributed many national and international bodybuilding stars to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, such as
TV Poly and VM Basheer.

Media

The first newspaper which published from Thrissur was Lokamanyan in 1920. Then came Deenabandhu edited bt V K Krishnan. Ezhuthachan started publishing as a weekly in 1941 from Thrissur. It was one of the first periodicals that supported the national movement. As soon as the Quit India movement was started, its editor and staff were sent to jail and publications were banned. The third newspaper in Thrissur was launched by Joseph Mundassery as its editor. The paper did not survive for long. The Express started in 1944 from Thrissur with K Krishanan as the editor is very popular in Central Kerala for its nationalist and socialist views. Major Malayalam newspapers published in Thrissur include Malayala Manorama
Malayala Manorama
Malayala Manorama is a daily news paper, in Malayalam language, published in the state of Kerala, India. It was first published as a weekly on 14 March 1890, and currently has a readership of over 16 million . The Malayalam word "manorama" roughly translates to "entertainer"...

, Mathrubhumi
Mathrubhumi
Mathrubhumi is a Malayalam language newspaper that is published from Kerala, India. Mathrubhumi was founded by K. P. Kesava Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian freedom struggle against the British.-History:...

, Madhyamam
Madhyamam
Madhyamam is a Malayalam daily newspaper published from Kerala, India, since 1987.. It was founded in 1987 by the initiatives of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. It has 10 editions in India and its Gulf edition Gulf Madhyamam has 9 in the Middle East...

, Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi
Kerala Kaumudi
Kerala Kaumudi is a popular Malayalam newspaper, founded in 1911 by C. V. Kunhiraman with K. Sukumaran B.A. as the founder editor. Printed from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur in Kerala and Bangalore, Kerala Kaumudi is the third most circulated Malayalam daily. The...

and Deshabhimani. A number of evening papers, like General
General (newspaper)
General is a Malayalam language newspaper printed daily and widely read in Kerala, India.-See also:* Johny Chandy* Chandys, Inc.* Chandy's Group* BlueMatrix, Inc.* List of newspapers in India by circulation...

), are also published from the city. Newspapers in other regional languages like Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu are also available.

The first cinema hall in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, with a manually operated film projector, was opened in Thrissur by KW Joseph in 1907. In 1913, the first electrically operated film projector was established in city again by Jose Kattukkaran and was called the "Jose Electrical Bioscope". Jose Theater, the first theater in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 equipped with a movie projector, is in this city. Ragam, Ramdas, Girija, Kairali, Sree, Jose, Swapna and Bindhu are the theaters which show Malayalam, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

 movies in the city.

A film festival, known as ViBGYOR Film Festival
Vibgyor Film Festival
ViBGYOR Film Festival is an international short and documentary film festival held annually in Thrissur city in Kerala state of India. ViBGYOR Film Festival is organised by ViBGYOR Film collective, a coalition of Chetana Media Institute, Nottam Traveling Film Festival, Navachitra Film Society,...

, is held in the city every year. It is an international short and documentary film festival. Telephony services are provided by various players like Aircel
Aircel
Aircel group is a mobile phone service provider in India. It offers both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India. The Aircel group is a joint venture between Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia and Sindya Securities & Investments Private Limited, whose current...

, Airtel, Idea cellular
Idea cellular
Idea Cellular, usually referred to as Idea, is an Indian wireless telecom company based in Mumbai, India. Idea is the 3rd largest mobile services operator in India, in revenue terms, and recorded of over 98.4 million customers as of August 2011....

, Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...

, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Docomo
Tata DoCoMo
TATA DoCoMo, referred to as DoCoMo , is a Tata Teleservices Limited owned cellular service provider on the GSM and CDMA platform-arising out of the Tata Group's strategic joint venture with Japanese telecom giant NTT Docomo in November 2008...

, MTS, Uninor
Uninor
Uninor is a mobile operator in India. The company holds Unified Access Service licences to offer mobile telephony services in each of India’s 22 telecom circles, and has received spectrum to roll out services in 21 of these...

, Tata Indicom
Tata Indicom
Tata Teleservices Limited is a Indian broadband and telecommunications provider based in Mumbai, India. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate...

 and the state owned BSNL. BSNL is also offering 3G services in Thrissur which will enhance services such as multimedia, high speed mobile broadband, Internet access with the ability to view video footage on mobile handsets. The city also have Broadband wireless services on WiMAX
WiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...

 platform.

Private FM radio stations in the Thrissur are Club FM 104.8 MHz, Radio Mango 91.9
Radio Mango 91.9
Radio Mango 91.9 is a FM radio station for the state of Kerala in India, operated by the Malayala Manorama in Kerala, specialising in popular music throughout the day. It started FM broadcasting from November 29, 2007 in four cities of Kerala. This is the first Malayalam private FM station in...

  MHz, BEST FM 95 by (Asianet Communications Limited), Red FM
Red FM (India)
Red FM is an Indian FM radio brand, with stations broadcasting at 93.5 megahertz in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Kanpur in addition to Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Gulbarga, Kochi, Trivandrum, Thrissur, Kannur,...

 91.1 MHz. The transmitter of the All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...

 (630 kHz) was commissioned on November 4, 1956. The station started independent broadcasting in 1974. Thrissur has a Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...

 studio with a low power transmitter located near the studio.

In popular culture

  • Malayalam actor Mohanlal
    Mohanlal
    Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...

     in the film Thoovanathumbikal
    Thoovanathumbikal
    Thoovanathumbikal is a widely acclaimed melodramatic 1987 Malayalam film written and directed by P. Padmarajan, which is based on his own novel Udakappola. The film revolves around Jayakrishnan who falls in love with two women, Radha a woman in his village and Clara a sex worker in town...

    has done a Thrissur-born character (Jayakrishnan) by speaking with an excellent Thrissur accent. The film was shot in Thrissur city. The character played by Mohanlal was based on a citizen of Thrissur, Karakkath Unni Menon, and his friends like Vijayan Karot.
  • In Sarah Joseph
    Sarah Joseph
    Sarah Joseph is CEO and Editor of magazine emel and commentator on British Muslims. She is a writer and a broadcaster and lectures on Islam both within the UK and internationally...

    's novel, Othappu, the story is told in Thrissur city, where Sister Margalitha and priest Karikkan becomes social outcasts after both leave their profession.
  • Malayalam actor Mammootty
    Mammootty
    Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles...

     plays the role of Thrissur-based rice vendor merchant in Pranchiyettan and The Saint. The film is based on Thrissur's rice market, Rice Bazzar.

Further reading

  • C A Krishnan (2009), Anchuvilakku (Malayalam : അഞ്ചുവിളക്ക്). Green Books, Thrissur. ISBN 978-81-8423-128-1

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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