Thrissur
has a rich historical, cultural and archaeological legacy. Once known as
'Tiru-Shiva-Perur' (the town with the name of Lord Shiva), the name is
now deformed to
Thrissur or
Trichur. The highlight of
the city is the Vadakkumnathan Kshetram Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva
surrounded by a green lawn known as 'maidan', which is a popular place
for public gathering. The city has been influenced by several dynasties
that carved out its fate such as Zamorins of Kozhikode, Tipu Sultan of
Mysore, the Dutch and the British but it was Raja Rama Varma, often
referred to as Sakthan Thampuran, who was credited as the architect of
the present-day Trichur.
The other highlights of the town are the internationally reputed
Thrissur
Pooram Festival, one of the biggest and most colorful festivals of
Kerala and the training schools such as Kerala Kala Mandalam, Kerala
Sahitya Academy and Kerala Nataka Academy that strive to keep the
indigenous performing arts of Kerala alive. Situated between Kochi and
Palakkad, the erstwhile capital of Cochin State is a popular base for
exploring the cultural riches of central Kerala. This ancient town has
found reference in the literature of olden days as 'Vrishabhadripuram'
and 'Ten Kailasam'. The Sakthan Thampuran Palace, also known as
Vadakkekara Palace, was renovated in 1795 in the Kerala-Dutch
architectural style and is now a protected monument under the
Archaeological Department.
Thrissur District holds the honor of
having been in the forefront of the countrywide movement for temple
entry and abolition of the concept of 'untouchability' from Hinduism.
