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              TRICHUR TRAVEL GUIDE

Trichur is a city situated in the center of Kerala state. It is the headquarters of
Thrissur District. The city has a population of around 3.2 lakhs. It is an important
cultural centre, and is known as the 'cultural capital of Kerala'. It is famous for the
Thrissur Pooram festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival of
Kerala. It has a large number of well-known temples, Thiruvambady temple,
Vadakkumnatha temple and Paramekkavu temple, and two churches of note, the
Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours
(called "Puthan Pally" - meaning "New Church" - considered to be the biggest church
in South Asia). The Kerala Police Academy (second largest in India) is situated in
this city.

From very early times Thrissur has been a centre of learning. With the decline of
Buddhism and Jainism due to the growing supremacy of Brahminism during the
revival of Hinduism, Thrissur became an important centre of Sanskrit
learning[citation needed]. It is believed that the great Hindu Saint, Adi Shankara, was
born in answer to the prayer made by Arayambal and Sivaguru at Vadakkunathan
temple. Sankara's disciples Hastamalaka, Thotaka, Padmapada and Sudhachara
established four Madoms(mutt) in the city, namely the Northern Madom, the Middle
Madom, the ln-Between Madom and the Southern Madom respectively.

This sacred land had been visited by other religious icons like Swami Vivekananda,
St. Thomas, and Sree Narayana Guru, who fought against the caste system in Hindu
religion, founded his first temple in Koorkanchery. Thrissur, for a brief period, was
the capital of the Kochi kingdom. The Shaktan Thampuran palace, which was the
abode of the Cochin king, Shaktan Thampuran, was recently renovated by the
Archeological Survey of India.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Time zone         IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                   101.43 kmē (39 sq mi)
Elevation           2.83 m (9 ft)
District(s)          Thrissur District
Population        317,474 (2001)
Density              3,100/kmē (8,029/sq mi)


PLACE TO VISIT

Shakthan Thampuran Palace -  Named as Vadakkekara Palace, was
reconstructed in Kerala-Dutch style in 1795 by Sri. Ramavarma Thampuran of the
erstwhile Princely State of Cochin, well as Sakthan Thampuran(Greatest ruler of the
Cochin dynasty) is preserved by Archaeological Department.

Archeological & Art Museum - It has a good collection of wood carvings,
metal sculptures and ancient jewelers.

Thrissur Zoo - It is a major attraction for children and students with a variety of
animals.

Kerala Sahitya Academy - Kerala Sahitya Academy was established on
August 15, 1956. It aims at the development of Malayalam Language and Literature
and works in co-operation with the Kendra Sahitya Academy in New Delhi. There is a
good library attached to the Academy consisting of 2 sections the General Section &
the Research Section.

Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy - It is also located in city and was
established on April 12, 1938. It's aim is to foster and develop Kerala Dance, Drama
and Music and to promote through the cultural unity of Kerala. It works in close
collaboration with the Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Academy in New Delhi for the
enrichment of Indian culture. A regional theatre is constructed in Thrissur with all
modern facilities.

Vilangan Kunnu - This hillock has been converted by the tourism department
as an amusement park. While grown ups relish the scenic splendor from the hill top.
Children can relax and play to their hearts.


HOW TO REACH

By air -  Kochi International Airport, is 58 km awy from the city
* Kozhikode (Calicut) Airport is 80 km away from city.

Direct flights there from the Middle East, Singapore, Maldives, Europe and Sri Lanka.

* Alternatively reach Chennai (Madras), Bangalore, Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, or
other Indian cities and then by train.

By train - Thrissur city is well connected and serviced by rail to all major cities in
India like Kozhikode, Mangalore, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore, Mumbai,
Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi. Most of the express trains stop at Thrissur railway
station. This station is very near to KSRTC bus stand.

By bus - You can also reach here by bus from cities like Mangalore, Kochi,
Bangalore, Thiruvananam, Chennai, Mumbai and Coimbatore.

By road - Thrissur is well connected to other cities Kochi, Kozhikode, Chennai,
Bangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai and Pollachi by road.