Thrissur (തൃശൂര്‍) Trichur (Anglicised name) Thrisivaperoor (Old name)
—  city  —
Clockwise from top: Thrissur Pooram, Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours, Puli Kali, Vadakkunnathan Temple
Thrissur (തൃശൂര്‍) Location of Thrissur (തൃശൂര്‍) in Kerala
Coordinates	10°31′N 76°13′E / 10.52°N 76.21°E / 10.52; 76.21Coordinates: 10°31′N 76°13′E / 10.52°N 76.21°E / 10.52; 76.21
Country	India
State	Kerala
District(s)	Thrissur District
Mayor	I.P. Paul
Deputy Mayor	Subi Babu
Population • Density • Metro	315,596[1] (2011[update]) • 3,111 /km2 (8,057 /sq mi) • 18,54,783[1] (21) (2011[update])
Literacy	97.24%
Official languages	Malayalam, English
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation • Coastline	101.43 square kilometres (39.16 sq mi) • 2.83 metres (9.3 ft) • 0 kilometres (0 mi)
Climate • Precipitation Temperature • Summer • Winter	Am/Aw (Köppen) •      616 mm (24.3 in) •      35 °C (95 °F) •      20 °C (68 °F)
Distance(s) • From New Delhi • 2,515 kilometres (1,563 mi) North (land) • From Mumbai • 1,356 kilometres (843 mi) North-West (land) • From Kolkata • 2,285 kilometres (1,420 mi) North-East (land) • From Chennai • 605 kilometres (376 mi) North-East (land)
Codes • Pincode • 680XXX • Telephone • +91 (0)487 • UN/LOCODE • INKOC • Vehicle • KL-08, KL-45, KL-46, KL-47 & KL-48
Website	http://www.corporationofthrissur.org/

Thrissur  pronunciation (help·info) (Malayalam: തൃശൂര്‍), originally Thrisivaperoor and previously known by its anglicized form as Trichur, is the fifth largest city, the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala (Pop. 1,854,783) and the 20th largest in India.^[2][3] It is also the headquarters of the Thrissur District.^[4] Thrissur city is built around a 65-acre (26 ha) hillock called the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple. Thrissur was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. It is located 300 kilometres (186 mi) towards north-west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

Thrissur is also known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala because of its cultural, spiritual and religious leanings throughout history.^[5] It houses the Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Academy.^[6] The city hosts the Thrissur Pooram festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival in Kerala.^[7][8] The festival is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan in April or May.^[5] Thrissur has a large number of well-known temples including the Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple, Vadakkumnathan temple and Paramekkavu temple, as well as two famous churches, the Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours.^[9]

Thrissur has historically been a center of Hindu scholarship. The city houses one of the most important temples of Hindu Shaivism, that is the Vadakunnathan temple. The district is also home one of the most holiest Hindu Vaishnava temples, the Guruvayur temple. Christianity, Islam and Judaism entered in to the Indian subcontinent through the Thrissur district. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings claim Thomas the Apostle to have set foot in Muziris near here 2,000 years ago. (AD 51-52)^[10][11] The country’s first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, opened in AD 629.^{[12][13][13][14][15][16]} It has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English.

The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali entrepreneurs,^[17] and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala.^[18] It flexes its economic muscle in India as the headquarters of three major scheduled banks, South Indian Bank Ltd, Catholic Syrian Bank and Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd and a clutch of Chit funds.^[19] The city is also a big centre for shopping in Kerala for silks and gold jewelry. Thrissur attracts the largest number of domestic tourists in Kerala.^[20]

Apart from being the cultural nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the Kerala Kalamandalam, Jawahar Bal Bhavan Thrissur, Kerala Police Academy, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA).^[21][22][23]

Etymology[link]

The name Thrissur is a shortened form of Thrishivaperur or Thirushivaperur. Thiru-Shiva-Perur (Malayalam: തിരു-ശിവ-പേരൂര്‍) literally translates to "The City with the name of the Lord Siva". The name owes itself to the most prominent feature of the city, that is the Vadakkumnathan Kshetram or temple, which has Shiva as its presiding deity.^[24] Alternately, Thri-Shiva-Perur (Malayalam: ത്രി-ശിവ-പേരൂര്‍) means the place with three famous Shiva temples which are said to be — the Vadakkunnathan Temple, Kottapuram Shiva temple and the Punkunnam Shiva temple.^[25] Thrissur was also known as "Vrishabhadripuram" and then "Kailasam" (Kailasam of the South) in ancient days.

History[link]

Pre-history[link]

The 15 feet height and 12 feet 4 inches broad Ramavarmapuram menhir

Starting from the Stone Age, Thrissur must have been the site of human settlement. This is evidenced by the presence of a megalithic monuments at Ramavarmapuram, Kuttoor, Cherur and Villadam.^[26] The Ramavarmapuram monument is in granite and is of Menhir type. The monument in Ramavarmapuram 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 put up at burial sites for the departed souls. They belong to the Megalithic Age of Kerala, which is roughly estimated between 1000 BCE and 500 CE.^[27] All such monuments have not been dated exactly. Some experts are of the view that these are the remnants of the Neolithic Age in the development of human technology. The Ramavarmapuram Menhir is also believed to be a monument belonging to the Sangam period in the South Indian history.^[28]

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.^[26] 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).^[29] The laterite hillocks of Ariyannur rise to about 50 metres. Another reference in Ariyannur dates back to early 15th century in the poem 'Chandrotsavam'.^[29]

Image of main entrance of Vadakkunnathan Temple seen from Swaraj Round from Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway

Pre-Colonial history[link]

The region can claim to have played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period. The early political history of Thrissur is interlinked with that of the Chera Dynasty of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

After the Cheras, the place was later ruled by the Kingdom of Cochin (Perumpadapu Swaroopam). Later, a powerful dynasty known as Zamorins of Calicut captured most of the Thrissur in 14th and 15th century.

Colonial period[link]

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 became the main power. With the help of Dutch, Cochin Royal Family recaptured Thrissur from Samoothiri in 1710.^[30]

The modern city of Thrissur rose in to importance after Sakthan Thampuran ascended the throne of Kingdom of Cochin (1769-1805). He changed the capital of Cochin Royal Family to Thrissur from Mattancherry and abolished the power of Namboothiri community, which controlled most of the temples of Thrissur district. The maharaja destroyed the forest around the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple, and started the most spectacular cultural festival called Thrissur Pooram. Sakthan Thampuran laid the modern foundation stone of Thrissur and made the city in to a major financial and commercial hub of South India, by inviting Syrian Christian families and Brahmins from adjoining areas.^[30]

However, during 1750-60 Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore, attacked Thrissur and became tributary of the Kingdom of Mysore. Tipu Sultan, his son led another invasion in 1786 to Thrissur, where he destroyed the churches of Syrian Malabar Nasrani community and Hindu temples. Tipu Sultan’s Army set fire to the church at Palayoor and attacked the Ollur church.^[31] He plundered Thrissur’s economy and even converted Christians and Hindu’s into Muslims. The economy of Thrissur totally collapsed because of this invasion.^[32] Later he made a retreat from Thrissur, which served as the headquarters of Kerala region, after the Srirangapattanam war. In the meantime, Rama Varma X, the successor of Sakthan Thampuran signed a treaty with East Indian Company, and made Cochin a subsidiary of the British.

Anti-Colonial movements[link]

Thrissur city in 1816

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 visited Vivekodayam School in the city.^[33] 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.^[34] In the mean time, R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, the controversial Diwan of Cochin Kingdom from 1935 to 1941, was developing City by constructing Thrissur Town Hall and Ramanilayam. Even now also two monuments remain as the epicenter of Kerala politics. DR M R Menon, a minister in Government of Kochi was instrumental in building the Municipal Corporation Building, Thrissur and the Municipal Office Road. He even concerted Swaraj Round and other peripheries of the city road.^[35][36]

Post-Colonial[link]

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

P.S. Rao, advisor to the Rajapramukh and acting Governor of Kerala, is another person who Thrissurian is indebted to. He expanded Thrissur City by shifting all the administrative and government offices like Thrissur Collectorate to Ayyanthole from Chembukavu.^[35]Government Engineering College, Thrissur, is another gift from Joseph Mundassery, the controversial former education minister who introduced Kerala Education Act. C. Achutha Menon, the former Chief Minister of Kerala gifted Kerala Agricultural University in 1971, a university for all agricultural related activities.^[35]

K. Karunakaran, the Bhishma of Kerala politics started his career in Thrissur as a painter. Later on he became the “Leader” of city. During his regime Thrissur-Guruvayur Section and Poonkunnam Over Bridge was built.^[37][38]Vinod Rai, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, is another person who turned fortunes of the city by building Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar) when he was collector of Thrissur district. He is also known as the second Sakthan Thampuran of Thrissur by shifting the Municipal Stand near the M.O. Road to Shaktan Thampuran Nagar, now known as Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur.^[39]

Geography[link]

Thrissur is located at 10°31′N 76°13′E / 10.52°N 76.21°E / 10.52; 76.21 and has an average altitude of 2.83 metres. The City is located 75 km north-east of Kochi, 133 km south-west of Coimbatore and 144 km south-east of Kozhikode.^[40] The city is located in midland regions of Kerala, with an extended part of Palakkad plains.^[41] 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.^[42] Thrissur lies near the center of the Indian tectonic plate (the Indian Plate) and is subject to comparatively little seismic or volcanic activity.

Climate[link]

Under the Köppen climate classification, Thrissur features a Tropical monsoon climate. Since the region lies in the south western coastal state of Kerala, 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.^[43]

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.^[43]

Economy[link]

Headquarters of Dhanalakshmi Bank in Thrissur city

Thrissur is home to many leading Malayali entrepreneurs,^[17] and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala.^[18] Historians say that King Sakthan Thampuran 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. Thrissur is one of the major manufacturing centers of plain gold and rolled gold jewelry in South India; up to 70% of Kerala'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.^[44][45] The industry provides direct and indirect employment to 200,000 people in Thrissur.^[46][47] The artisans based in these units, craft nearly 85 percent of one tonne gold which is used per day in Kerala. About 90 tonnes of gold was being used annually in Kerala for manufacturing of ornaments daily.

According to Reserve Bank of India, 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, Dhanalakshmi Bank, Lord Krishna Bank and non-banking institutions like Manappuram General Finance and Leasing Ltd, Kerala State Financial Enterprise and ESAF Microfinance and Investments.^[48][49] The city’s financial capabilities also saw the rise of Chit fund. According to All Kerala Kuri Foreman's Association, Kerala have around 5,000 chit companies, with Thrissur District accounting for the maximum of 3,000. These chit companies provide employment to about 35,000 persons directly and an equal number indirectly.^[50][51]

Jos Alukka & Sons store in Thrissur City

The city is also emerging as the largest hub for Ayurvedic drug manufacturing industry in the India. Out of the 850 ayurvedic drug-manufacturing units in Kerala, about 150 units, including some of the major ayurvedic drug manufacturers in the Kerala state are located in and around the city. Of these, some of the companies like the Oushadhi, Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala, KP Namboodiris, Sitaram Ayurvedic Pharmacy Ltd, Kandamkulathy Vaidyasala, SNA Oushadhasala etc. are among the leading ayurvedic drug manufacturers in the state.^[52]Thrissur Ayurveda Cluster, anonther initiative by a group of Ayurvedic manufacturers of Thrissur, has developed a cluster in KINFRA Park in Koratty in Thrissur District.^{[53][54][55][56][57][58]}

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. Most of the jewellery groups have outlets in Thrissur and provide jobs to thousands of people. Kalyan Group, Jos Alukka & Sons, 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.^[59]InfoPark Thrissur, the fourth technology park in Kerala after Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi and Calicut is situated in Thrissur District.^[60][61][62]Tourism 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. The city with its temples, old churches and its culture, is ranked first in the number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala.^[20]

Civic administration[link]

• See List of Thrissur Corporation wards

Thrissur functioned as a municipality since 1921 under the Cochin Municipal Regulations. The municipality had 12.64 sqkm area.^[63][64] Prior to the constitution of the municipality, there was a Sanitary Board functioning in 1910 under a Sergeant and the Town Council after 1911.^[65] 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 and Thrissur municipality approved the new master plan for the new corporation.^[63] On October 1, 2000, the Municipal town was upgraded to the level of a Municipal Corporation with the Panchayats of Ayyanthole, Koorkkenchery, Nadathara, Vilvattom (part), Ollur and Ollukkara. The Corporation comprises three legislative assemblies Thrissur, Ollur and Cherpu.^[66] The city is administered by the Thrissur Municipal Corporation, headed by a Mayor. Thrissur Municipal Corporation is the second-largest city corporation in the state of Kerala in India. The city is the only local body and city in Kerala 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.^[63][67]

Municipal Corporation Building, Thrissur seen from M.O. Road

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.^[68] 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.^[68]

Law & Order[link]

The City is the headquarters of Thrissur City Police and Thrissur Rural Police. The Thrissur City Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an Indian Police Service (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.^[69][70][71] Thrissur is also the headquarters of Inspector General of Police, Thrissur Range, which looks after the law and order of Thrissur District, Palakkad District and Malappuram district. All the Superintendent of Police of these three districts come under his jurisdiction. The City also houses Kerala Police Academy,^[72] Central Prison, Viyyur,^[73]Police Dog Training Center and Excise Academy and Research Centre. India Reserve Battalion, new commando unit of Kerala Police is headquartered in Ramavarmapuram.^[74] Border Security Force (148 battalion) have its first centre in Kerala in Thrissur only.^[75][76]

Demographics[link]

As of 2011^[update] India census,^[79] 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'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 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 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.^[80] Thrissur city alone accounts for 38% of the urban population in the Thrissur District.^[80]

Politics[link]

Thrissur has played a significant part in the political history of South India. The city of Thrissur is represented in the Kerala State Assembly by two elected members, one from Thrissur Assembly Constituency and another from Ollur Assembly Constituency. Therambil Ramakrishnan is the representative of Thrissur Assembly Constituency and M.P Vincent from Ollur Assembly Constituency. 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 of India, once every five years. The current MP is P. C. Chacko. The Lok Sabha seat has been held by the Indian National Congress for six terms (1951–1957, 1984–1989, 1989–1991, 1991–1996, 1999–2004 and 2009–2012) and the Communist Party of India for nine terms (1957–1962, 1962–1967, 1967–1970, 1971–1977, 1977–1979, 1980–1984, 1996–1997, 1998–1999 and 2004–2009).

Transport[link]

Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur, is the second largest private bus station in Kerala

Road[link]

Thrissur is connected to the North-South Corridor National Highway System via the four-laned National Highway 47.^[81] The highway traverses through the entire length and breadth of the city from different points and provides access to the nearby cities such of Kochi, Palakkad and Coimbatore. NH 47 provides two main exit points at Mannuthy and Thalore to the Thrissur city. The city is largely dependent on private buses, Taxis and auto rickshaws (called autos) for public transport. State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs inter-state, inter-district and city services. Thrissur has three bus stations, the Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur in Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar); the Vadakke Stand (Northern Bus Stand) and the Thrissur KSRTC Bus Station near the Thrissur Railway Station. State Highway (SH 69) Thrissur-Kuttippuram Road, SH 22 Kodungallur - Shornur Road, SH 75 Thrissur - Kanjani - Vadanappally Road are the three state highways which connect city with its suburbs and municipalities.

Railway[link]

The Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways operates the main rail transport system in Thrissur. There are four railway stations in Thrissur city. Thrissur Railway Station, one of the busiest stations in Kerala provides trains to three directions and lies on the busy Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section. It has a satellite station, Poonkunnam Railway Station^[82] and two minor stations, Ollur Railway Station and Mulankunnathukavu Railway Station. Thrissur Railway Station also connects to the temple town of Guruvayur by Thrissur-Guruvayur Section. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Thrissur to Kochi and Palakkad using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit services (MEMU), with the first services are expected to begin in late 2010 or early 2011 for which works are underway.^[83]

Air[link]

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

^[84]

Culture and literature[link]

Vellayappam a kind of rice hopper.

Festivals[link]

Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy

Known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala, Thrissur enjoys a thriving cultural tradition dating back to centuries, and being the centre of Kerala's cultural activities. Thrissur Pooram also called as 'the pooram of all poorams' is celebrated in every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar. It is the biggest of all poorams held in Kerala. The city plays host, for 36 hours from the wee hours of the pooram day, to one of the most largest collection of people and elephants.^{[85][86][87][88][89]}Puli Kali 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, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in Kerala.^[90][91] The most important festivals celebrated in the city include Christmas, Onam, Easter, Eid and Vishu. The city is widely acclaimed as the land of elephant lovers.^[92][93] Aanayoottu (feeding of elephants), is the world largest elephant feeding ceremony held in Vadakkunnathan Temple in the city annually. The ceremony is conducted on the first day of the Malayalam month of Karkidakam.^[94][95][96]

Literature[link]

Literary lineage of Thrissur dates back to early history of Kerala but it came to prominence after Kerala Government set up Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi, Kerala Sahitya Academy, Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy and College of Fine Arts, Thrissur for promoting literature, music and arts in Kerala. After the Indian Independence, Thrissur became the literary capital of Kerala as turned to the playground of novelist, poets and orators. In 1952 when Current Books set its first shop in Thrissur by former education Minister Professor Joseph Mundassery, it become the abode of writer’s like O V Vijayan, Kovilan, VKN, Uroob, Edassery, M T Vasudevan Nair, K G Sankarapillai and Sarah Joseph. The area was later known as "Current Moola" ("Current Corner"). Thrissur is home to prominent malayalam literary figures like Kovilan, Kunhunni Mash, Sukumar Azhikode, K. Satchidanandan, Mullanezhi, Sarah Joseph (author), Attoor Ravi Varma, Lalitha Lenin, P. Bhaskaran, Joseph Mundassery.^[97]

Temples Mosques and churches[link]

One of the four Vadakumnathan Temple Gates, inside the Swaraj Maidan.

The Vadakkunnathan temple believed to have been founded by the legendary saint Parasurama, is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture and houses several sacred shrines and with beautiful murals delineating graphically, various episodes from the Mahabharata. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple, one of the largest Sree Krishna temples in Kerala and Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple which is one of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala is also situated in the city. Asia's highest church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours (Puthan Pally), Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral which has an underground shrine, is a masterpiece of architecture. The Mart Mariam Big Church, Indian headquarters of Assyrian Church of the East, are also situated at Thrissur. St. Anthony's Forane Church, also known as Chinna Roma (Small Rome), is also situated in Thrissur.^[98]

Cuisine[link]

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

Education[link]

The main entrance of Government Engineering College, Thrissur

Already known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala, it is also fast developing as an education hub .^[99][100] The city has traditionally been a centre of learning from ancient times. With the decline of Buddhism and Jainism and due to the growing supremacy of Brahminism during the revival of Hinduism, the city became an important centre of Sanskrit learning.^[101][102] Schools in Thrissur city are either run publicly by the Kerala Government or privately, some with financial aid from the government. The medium of education is either English or Malayalam, with the former being the majority. Most schools are affiliated with the Kerala State Education Board or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) or the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) or the Montessori system.^[102][103] There are 93 lower primary schools; 34 upper primary schools;^[104][105] and 78 high schools;^[106] and 157^[107] higher secondary schools in the city.

Entrance of Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)

With universities like Kerala Kalamandalam, Kerala Police Academy, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), the city would add another feather in its crown by having 'World Class University' and a 'Science City'.^{[108][109][110]} With the three medical colleges, Government Medical College, Thrissur, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences and a medical university Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences, the city has become synonymous with medical education in Kerala. Colleges for engineering, law, veterinary, ayurveda, science, arts and commerce degrees are typically affiliated with the University of Calicut like Government Engineering College, Thrissur, Vidya Academy of Science and Technology, IES College of Engineering, St. Mary's College, Thrissur, St. Thomas College, Thrissur, Sree Kerala Varma College, Sri C. Achutha Menon Government College, St. Aloysius College, Thrissur, Kerala Veterinary College, Mannuthy, Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College, Vimala College, Government Law College, Thrissur, College of Fine Arts, Thrissur and College of Horticulture.^[101]

The city also has emerged as the prime centre in South India for students seeking entry into the professional courses.^[26][101] 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.^[26]

Healthcare[link]

Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute.

Thrissur serves as a centre for healthcare in the Central Kerala. 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, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences and Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, 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,^[58] and Amala Ayurvedic Hospital & Research Centre. All these firms have been instrumental in spreading the fame of Kerala Ayurvedic treatment, as thousands of overseas patients visit the Ayurvedic treatment facilities in and around Thrissur, every year. Vaidyaratnam runs a medical college and chikitsalayam, with global standards. Sitaram have a 100 bedded eight storied super 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.^[58]

Sports[link]

Football is the most popular sport in Thrissur city. The N.I. David Memorial Trophy, an annual inter-club football tournament is held at Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium. The football championship was started in 1996 by the then Superintendent of Police, Thrissur.^{[111][112][113][114][115]} The city has a floodlit stadium, known as Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium.^[116] 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, I. M. Vijayan and Jo Paul Ancheri hail from this City. Thrissur City has contributed many national and international bodybuilding stars to India, such as TV Poly and VM Basheer.^[116]

Media[link]

Malayalam daily newspaper Mathrubhumi's Thrissur office

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.^[117] 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.^[117] Major Malayalam newspapers published in Thrissur include Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Madhyamam, Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi and Deshabhimani. A number of evening papers, like General), are also published from the city. Newspapers in other regional languages like Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu^[where?] are also available.

The first cinema hall in Kerala, 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".^[118] Jose Theater, the first theater in Kerala 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, English and Hindi movies in the city.

A film festival, known as ViBGYOR Film Festival, 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, Airtel, Idea cellular, Vodafone, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Docomo, MTS, Uninor, Tata Indicom 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.^[119] The city also have Broadband wireless services on WiMAX platform.^[120][121]

Private FM radio stations in the Thrissur are Club FM 104.8 MHz,^[122] Radio Mango 91.9  MHz,^[123] BEST FM 95 by (Asianet Communications Limited), Red FM 91.1 MHz.^[124] The transmitter of the All India Radio (630 kHz) was commissioned on November 4, 1956. The station started independent broadcasting in 1974.^[125][126] Thrissur has a Doordarshan studio with a low power transmitter located near the studio.^{[127][128][129]}

In popular culture[link]

• Malayalam writer Sarah Joseph's works are generally set in the background of Thrissur and nearby areas.^[130]
• Malayalam director Padmarajan's film Thoovanathumbikal was shot in Thrissur city. Almost all the main characters speak with a Thrissur accent for Malayalam. The character played by the lead actor Mohanlal was based on a citizen of Thrissur, Karakkath Unni Menon, and his friends like Vijayan Karot.^[131]
• Malayalam director Ranjith's film Pranchiyettan and The Saint is based on Thrissur's rice market, Rice Bazzar. Malayalam actor Mammootty plays the lead role of a Thrissur-based rice vendor merchant, Francis aka Ari Pranchi.^[132][133]

References[link]