Location: Thrissur
Top Things to do in Thrissur
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Top 10 Sights & Landmarks in Thrissur, Kerala
Thrissur is regarded as the cultural capital of Kerala, a beautiful coastal region of southwest India with a history deeply rooted in the spice trade. For an exercise in absolute serenity, schedule an overnight houseboat tour of the local backwaters. If you’re lucky enough to visit during the temple festival of Pooram, you’ll experience lively music performances, fireworks, shadow puppet shows and processionals of beautifully adorned elephants.
Restaurants in Thrissur
1. Arattupuzha Temple
2. Shatrughna Temple
3. Vylongara Kalari
4. Vadakkunnathan Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 487 reviews
Reviewed By RajeeshRj - Bengaluru, India
Vadakkumnathan Temple is an ancient Hindu templededicated to Shiva at city of Thrissur, of Kerala statein India. This temple is a classic example of the architectural style of Kerala and has monumental towers on all four sides and also a kuttambalam. Mural paintings depicting various episodes from Mahabharata can be seen inside the temple.The shrines and the Kuttambalam display vignettes carved in wood. The temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument by India under the AMASR Act. According to popular local lore, this is the first temple built by Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. Thekkinkadu maidan, encircling the Vadakkunnathan Temple, is the main venue of the Thrissur Pooram. The story of the origin of the Vadakkunnathan Temple is briefly narrated in Brahmanda Purana and there are references to it in some other works also. Though there are differences between these accounts on the details, all agree on the central fact, namely, that the temple was founded by Parashurama. Parashurama exterminated Kshatriyastwenty one times. In order to cleanse himself and balance his karma he performed a yajna at the end of which he gave away all the land to Brahmins as dakshina. He wanted to retire to some new land to perform tapasya and so he requested the Lord of the seas and oceans Varuna to throw up a new piece of land from the sea. According to another version, some sages approached him at the end of the yajna and requested him to give them some secluded land. Parashurama then made the request to Varuna for their sake. Varuna gave him a winnow (surpa) and asked him to hurl it into the sea, as he did a large territory of land was at once thrown up by the sea; this territory that rose out of the sea was Kerala. It was then known by the name "Surparaka", from the word, "Surpa" meaning winnow. According to some other accounts, Varuna asked Parashurama to hurl his axe into the sea. Parashurama now wanted to consecrate this new land. So he went to Mount Kailash to his guru, Lord Shiva and requested him to take abode in Kerala and thereby bless the region. Shri Shiva accompanied by his wife Parvati, his sons Ganesha and Subrahmanyaand his parashadas went along with Parashurama, to satisfy the desire of his disciple. Shiva stopped at a spot, now Thrissur, for his seat and later he and his party disappeared and Parashurama saw a bright and radiant Shiva linga (aniconic symbol of Shiva) at the foot of a huge banyan tree. This place where Shiva first manifested his presence through the linga is in Smskrth (Sanskrit) known as the Sri Moola Sthana. For sometime, the linga remained at Sri Mula Sthanaat the foot of a huge banyan tree. The ruler of Cochin Kingdom then decided to shift the linga to a more convenient place and enclose it in a temple. Arrangements were soon made to reinstall the deity in the new place. But there was an initial difficulty. The linga could not be removed without cutting off a large part of the banyan tree. While cutting the branches of the tree, there was the danger of a piece of it falling on the idol and damaging it. When the ruler and the others did not know what to do, the Yogatirippadu came forward with a solution. He lay over the deity so as to cover it completely and asked the men to cut the tree. The cutting began and to the wonder of all not a piece of the tree fell anywhere near the deity. The deity was moved with all due rituals and installed in the new place where it has remained till now. Then a temple was built according to the rules laid down in the Shastras.
5. Sringapuram Shiva Temple
6. Kurumbakavu Temple
7. Parakkottu Kavu Temple
8. Paramekavu Bhagavathy Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 136 reviews
Reviewed By prasanthe2021 - Thrissur, India
It's near by the thrissur round it a good and peaceful place of Lord Bagavathy many people are comeing to get the blessing of Lord Bagavathy and it's also near by the market place
9. Thiruvanchikulam Mahadeva Temple
10. Koodalmanikyam Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
Reviewed By Arunvarma
If you are Hindu and interested in architecture as well as Tantric rituals of Kerala, then definitely Koodal Manikyam is a must visit destination. Its one of the very few Bharatha Temple in India, dedicated to Bharatha, the younger brother of Lord Rama. The widespread belief is that, Bharatha was incarnation of the Panchajanya conch, the right swelled shell that Lord Vishnu holds. So basically the idol is in form of Lord Vishnu itself with 4 hands, one holding the divine Conch, the Lotus flower, a flagstaff (indicating the nominal ruler of Ayodhya during Rama's Absence) and a Prayer beads (indicating Bharatha's penance during Rama's absence) The lord is also known as Sangameswara (Lord of confluence) as well as Manikkya Thevar (the Emerald Lord). The diety is designed as Bharatha receiving Hanuman's message that Lord Rama will soon arrive back in Ayodhya. As a result, there is a Hanuman's presence in the Thidapally (the holy Kitchen), though not worshipped in deity form. The temple is a classical specimen of the grandeur of Kerala architecture with a massive pond that has fishes which can be feed by devotees (based on the concept that Lord Rama used to love feeding fishes). The temple has a huge Main Pandal craved in wood, a huge entrance gate and most important, the largest Koothambalam (temple theater) in Kerala. The Koothambalam often has traditional Kerala temple artforms like Koodiyattom etc performed in honor of the lord. Like all Kerala temples, the temple is known for its extreme adherence to Tantric culture and dotted with numerous of Vedic era rituals. The temple also famous for several Yajnas and been a major site for vedic discourses and Mahayagas. The temple is highly orthodox. Hence no foreigners will be allowed inside unless they have proven Hindu certificate. For all gents, no form of pants, trousers or anything stitched garments is allowed inside. All men and boys must wear Kerala Mundu (white Dhoti) or its plain Saffron or Black version. No other color dhotis are permitted in. For girls, they can wear lehangas or Pavadas. But no Churidars, salwar suits or anything in pant/pyjama form. Ladies must wear Saris or Kerala Set Mundu or Half sarees etc. There is a changing room facility at the entrance for those who come in prohibited dress code. No form of head covering such as turbans etc is permitted. Ladies must tie their hair and must not cover unlike in North. The temple strictly bans any form of electronic into the temple. No Mobile, cameras or any form of the electronic object, including electronic car key permitted. The temple is famous for two major offerings. The Lotus Offering. Traditionally believed, that if Lotus is offered to Lord Bharatha, any desire will come true. The most heard myth is that, people do offer Lotus garland to Bharatha to stop floods and heavy rains common during monsoons. The Brinjal Offering.Unique to this temple, the lord is often of dark purplish large brinjal. Devotees who have gastric problems or diseases related to stomach or digestive system often place 3 large brinjals to get cured. The Brinjals are later taken into the kitchen and unique dish is made out of it, which is given as prasad. Brinjal Payasam are also available for purchase from the temple counters. Visit during evenings to see the maginificent temple lighted up in thousands of oil lamps. Normally the temple is least crowded. But during Malayalam month of Karikadakom (July-August), when Kerala celebrates as Ramayana Month, its customary for devotees to visit all 4 temples of each brother located closer by. During this time, it will be heavily crowded and one must reach early to get darshan. Like any Kerala Temple, this temple closes by 11 AM in morning (reach by 10 AM, as after this, there will be longer closures for various afternoon poojas) and reopens by 4 Pm in evening which will be closed by 8 PM.
