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Thrissur ( ) previously known as Trichur, is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the headquarters of the Thrissur District. Thrissur city is built around a 65 acre (26.3 ha) hillock called the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple. By population, Thrissur is the 5th largest city in Kerala, after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kollam. The nearest international airport is Cochin International Airport, Nedumbassery. Thrissur is known as the 'Cultural Capital of Kerala' because 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 festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival in Kerala. The festival is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan in April or May. Thrissur has a large number of well-known temples including the 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. Thrissur is also the venue of Pulikali during Onam celebrations in August or September. The city derives its historical importance from when Christianity, Islam and Judaism entered in to the Indian subcontinent. Thomas the Apostle set foot here 2,000 years ago. (A.D. 51-52) The country’s first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, opened in A.D. 629. It has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English. The city is an incubator for every Malayali entrepreneur, and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala. It flexes its economic muscle in India as the headquarters of three major scheduled banks, South Indian Bank Ltd, Catholic Syrian Bank and Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd and a clutch of Chit funds. The city is also a big centre for shopping in Kerala for silks and gold jewelry. Thrissur ranks first in the number of domestic tourists in Kerala. Apart from being the cultural nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the Kerala Kalamandalam, Kerala Police Academy, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA). |
