All over India, Thrissur is known as the cultural capital of Kerala- God’s Own Country. It is famous for the Thrissur Pooram festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival of Kerala. The festival is held near the Vadakkumnathan temple, in April or May. The riot of colors and the greenery of the nature make an exciting combination that is guaranteed to lift one’s spirits for any occasion – be it a simple get away from the normal routine, or to celebrate the festivities of the season.
History:
From ancient times, be it culture or politics, Thrissur has contributed greatly in shaping the history of not just Kerala, but the entire south India.
Thrissur has played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and other South Indian states in the ancient and medieval period. It has laid the foundation of a cosmopolitan and rich culture in South India.
Best For:
Cultural center
Flora and Fauna
The famous Boat Race
Festivals and performances
The city of Thrissur enjoys a tropical climate. The rain is heavy and start from June and last until July. Summer is very humid and it coincides with the celebration of the popular festival of Thrissur Pooram. The best time to visit Thrissur is from October to February.
The Indian Rupee (INR) is the acceptable form of currency here.
A tourist visa applicable for the entire country (India) is sufficient.
Embassies and tourist offices:
The nearest places for help in terms of embassy related issues and other tourist requirements can be found in Kozikhode, Coimbatore and Cochin.
Cochin International Airport [80 kms] is the closest to reach Thrissur. Thrissur is very well connected by National and State Highways. So a road trip is also recommended, if you are driving from Thiruvanthapuram and want to visit places like Alleppey, Punnamada and Cochin.
Air
Take a flight to Kozikhode [102 kms] or Cochin [80 kms] to get to Thrissur.
Road
Reaching Thrissur by road is a good option. It is very well connected by National Highways and State Highways. State Highway Number 22 connects to Thrissur from south via Koorkenchery and National Highway Number 17 reaches Thrissur via Sai Nagar from the west. If you are driving from Coimbatore, you need to take National Highway Number 47. If Cochin is the base, then one needs to drive via NH 17 or even NH 47. A lot of buses and road transportation is carried on from Cochin to Thrissur.
Train
Kozikhode has a railway station that is well connected to the rail network in South India. One can also travel by train to Thiruvanthapuram which being the state capital, has an excellent network and connectivity of trains.
•Vadakumnathan temple: This is one of the Oldest Mahadeva temples in Thrissur and is unarguably, a center of attraction in South India. This temple was built more than 1000 years ago.
•Kerala Lalitakala Academi or Academy for Fine Arts: This is an autonomous body that promotes art and culture in South India. It is a prestigious institution as it keeps the artistic tradition alive.
•Kerala Sahithya Akademy and Sangeetha Nataka Akademy: These are based at Thrissur making the epithet 'cultural capital of Kerala' more meaningful.
•Poonkunnam Shiva Temple: This famous temple is located in Poonkunnam in Thrissur. It is considered to be extremely sacred place and people from all over the world visit this place.
•Anakkayam: [20 kms approx.] This is a famous tourist spot because of its breath taking natural beauty. It has a lake that is surrounded by gushing water, streams and well cut rocks.
•Athirapally and Vazhachal: These waterfalls are located near the entrance to the Sholayar forest ranges. The gushing waterfalls are about 5 kms apart and about 80 feet height. This is one of the most scenic spots in the district.
•Art Museum: Since Thrissur is a cultural hot spot, the museum attracts a lot of visitors from all over the world. Though the Art Museum is small, it has quite a good collection of wood carvings, metal sculptures, and ancient traditional jewellery.
•Guruvayur: [32 kms] Guruvayur is one of the most visited and sacred pilgrimage centers in the entire country. From Thrissur it lies at a distance of 32 kms. It is famous amongst the pilgrims as the “Dwarka” of the South. This place has temples that were constructed in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Shopping:
Thrissur is a shopper’s delight when it comes to textiles and handicrafts. One can pick up coir materials, wood work, and coins from this place. Some of the luxury hotels have their own Ayurvedic stores and shops.
Apart from the native South Indian cuisine, a lot of exotic cuisine is offered here. Most of the good rated hotels cater to the international cuisine. A lot of places serve good authentic South Indian food- something one would definitely relish.
There are a lot of hotels and resorts in Thrissur as it is one of the most visited areas in the country, for tourism, culture and pilgrimage. Also, a lot of boarding and lodging facilities are available in Cochin and Thiruvanthapuram as well.
The festival of Thrissur Pooram is the most stunning feature of the place. It is celebrated with a lot of pomp not only by the natives and the localities of South India, but people from all over the world come to Thrissur in the summer season just to be a part of this celebration. Most of the major shows and performances are held during this time.
This is one of the few places in the world where one can find the richness of culture and the beauty of Nature in its splendor. You can see the vibrancy of the people along with their culture, their art and tradition celebrated with all its grandeur.
