Religious city of Kerala-Thrissur

Thrissur, also widely known as Thirusivapperoor and previously known by its anglicized name form as Trichur, is a city built around a 65-acre hillock called the thekkinkadu Maidan which houses the highly venerable Vadakkumnathan temple. The city of Trichur has been a witness to the rich and glorious cultural heritage of Kerala and has thus attracted people from far and wide and has fascinated them by its ethereal beauty. Till this date, Thrissur enjoys the attention of visitors in huge numbers.

Thrissur

Cultural Beauty of Trichur-  Once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin, Trichur also holds the prestigious title of being the Cultural capital of  Kerala.  It boasts of having important temples of both Shaivism and Vaishnav cult of Hinduism. Thrissur , practically has largest number of well known temples.

Fascinations-

• Pooram festival- It is the most colorful and probably the most awe-inspiringly spectacular temple festival that is held anywhere. It is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan in April or May every year.

Pooram festival

• Famous temples- The city has a large number of well-known temples that include the Vadakkumnathan temple, Thiruvambasadi Sri Krishna Temple and Paramekkavu temple and two celebrated churches which are- Our Lady of Lourdes Syro-Malabar Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral and the Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica.

• Cultural Harmony- As evident by the famous temples and churches that are ensconced on its land, Trichur has been home for Hinduism and Christianity.  But that’s not it. Other religions such as Judaism and Islam are also one of the practiced religions among the inhabitants of this city.  The first mosque of this city, Cheraman Juma Masjid opened in AD 629.

• Silk and Gold- The city is a huge shopping hub for people who fancy gold and silk. It attracts the largest no of domestic tourists in Kerala.

Must visit places in Thrissur-

• Kerala Sahitya Academy- It was founded in the year 1956 with the motive of promoting Malayali language and literature. It has a rich collection of books in its librarary facilitating both reading and research.

Kerala Sahitya Academy

• Veddakumnathan Temple-  The Veddakumnathan temple is a magnificent temple, ornamented by a very antique and wonderful style of architecture. Highly revered by the people, it is a temple of Lord Shiva.

Veddakumnathan Temple

The temple also houses a museum that exhibits ancient antiques like hand paintings, woodcarvings and other art pieces that are of historical importance to this place. The temple also hosts the “Pooram” festival that is one of the major attractions of Thrissur.

• Town Hall in Thrissur- It has a magnanimous building with beautiful lush green sprawling gardens. The fanatics of art are pulled towards this place. It has a picture gallery brought from the various regions of Kerala.  It is also used to host several cultural programs and public meetings.

Town Hall

• The Sakthan Thampuran Palace- Situated in Thrissur, this temple has very high historical importance. People who are intrigued by history are very intrigued by this temple. The architectural is a unique blend of Dutch and Kerala style of architecture. It has a Kerala style Naalukettu, while a two-storeyed building forms the main structure of the palace.  It has a very old serpent grove, where serpents are worshipped, accompanied by a beautiful and scenic garden that is used to protect some local species of trees and plants.

The Sakthan Thampuran Palace

• The Church of Lady of Dolours-  A popular tourist attraction, this Church is a pilgrim centre that receives huge numbers of visitors regularly. It has an antique architectural style with two massive belfries built in Gothic style. The main entrance of the church is magnanimous with beautiful inscriptions.  It consists of ten altars, which lie close to main altar. The main altar is grand and almost 100 feet high. Overall beauty and architectural genius of this place is awesome.

The Church of Lady of Dolours

Other places in Thrissur  that are worth visiting are Thrissur Archaelogical and Art museum, Thrissur Zoo, Thrissur Round, Kuriachira, Kerala Sangeeth Nadak Academy and Vilangan Hills. All these beautiful places in Thrissur enhance the innate beauty of this place manifolds. A visit to this city will be very much a memory to treasure.

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