Thrissur - " A Keralan Festival " ~ Hello Highways

Officially known as the cultural capital of Kerala, Thrissur is famous for fostering classical Keralan performing arts, religious sites, and the renowned Thrissur Pooram festival, Onam festival, and Vadakkumnathan Temple.

Thrissur is the short form of Thiru-Shiva-Per-Ur which literally means “a city with three temples of Lord Shiva”. Thrissur later became anglicized to Trichur.

Thrissur is from where Kerala gets a fair share of its festive glitter. Thrissur was the capital of the Kingdom of Kochi. The festivals celebrated here are the major attraction for tourists and a visit to Thrissur is incomplete without witnessing these. Other tourist spots in Thrissur include the Vadakkumnathan Kshetram Temple, Tomb of Shakthan Thampuran, Archaeology Museum, Athirapally Falls, Heritage Garden, and many more.

Best Time To Visit :

Climate wise, the best time to visit Thrissur is winters, from October to March. However, you must try visiting during one of the festivals celebrated with great pomp and show here. In the month of April or May, the famous Thrissur Pooram festival takes place. Thrissur also hosts the Pulikali during Onam celebrations in August or September (depending on the Malayalam calendar).

Places To Visit :

1 . Athirapally Falls :

Located 60 km from the Thrissur district of Kerala, Athirapally Falls is a marvelous cascade of frothy waters that makes its way from the Anamudi mountains of the Western Ghats. Also called Bahubali Waterfall, this 80 ft high and 330 ft wide marvel is the largest waterfall in Kerala. It is often referred to as the "Niagara Falls of India". From here, the Athirapally falls flows through the verdant greenery of Vazhachal Forest toward the Arabian Sea, creating a spectacular vista of scintillating water, emerald jungles, and azure sky.

When you land in Athirapally, you are greeted with the sight of charming green Sholayar Peaks peering over the rushing gush of the falls. Standing against the backdrop of a rustling jungle foliage, many films and music videos are shot here. Bird lovers cannot miss this place, for it is the only place in the Western Ghats where four endangered Hornbill species are seen. There is a pool above the falls where you can relax and unwind. To get a view of the waterfall, one needs to get down from the mountain for about 100 meters.

Athirapally Falls

2 . Charpa Falls :

Charpa Falls is another one of nature's delight that displays the blessings of Mother Nature. Cascading down from a shot height, this fall which is a part of River Chalakkudy offers a breathtaking experience. Athirappilly Falls and Lake Vachumaram are a stone's throw away from Charpa Falls.

Charpa Falls

3 . Vadakummnathan Temple :

With a collection of beautiful Mural paintings, some of which are more than 400 years old, this gigantic 1000-year-old temple and historical structure are famous for the Nataraja Mural near the main gate.

The structure to date displays its original colors without much preservation. The shrine of Vadakkumnathan is also situated there, which is apparently covered completely under ghee for centuries, without any incidence of melting. The shrines of Mahavishnu and Shankaranarayan are also located in the temple. It features one of the largest Dance Hall, called Koothambalam which depicts unique Keralan architecture. It hosts traditional performances called Nangyar Koothu. Just outside the temple complex are situated the Thiruvambadi Krishna Temple and Paramekkavu Devi Temple, which are considered to be the sister temples of Vadakummnathan. This Temple is strictly open to Hindus. Non-Hindus are not allowed inside, but they can stand outside and look at the photos from there.

Vadakummnathan Temple

4 . Shakthan Thampuran Palace :

Shakthan Thampuran Palace situated in the town of Thrissur marks the royal residence of the king of Cochin and has been a famous tourist attraction because of its historical value. Popularly known as Vadakkekara Palace, it dated back to the time of the King of Cochin named Rama Varma Shakthan Thampuran and was constructed in 1795. The king was a very generous ruler, and the duration of his reign was known as the 'Golden Age of Kochi'. The beautiful palace with an amalgamation of Kerela and Dutch style of architecture is worth laying eyes on and should not be missed out on if you're on a trip to Thrissur.

The striking feature of this palace is that it consists of a shrine for the God of serpents known as Serpent Grove (Sarpakaavu). Numerous species of flora and fauna can be spotted too in the heritage garden present inside the premises. If one can seek prior permission, they can easily spend a family picnic in the vast and stunning lawns of the palace.

Shakthan Thampuran Palace

5 . Vazhachal Falls :

There are three shades and sitting arrangement built around is a good place to relax with friends and family. The rocky falls are really a must-visit spot.

Vazhachal Falls is a popular picnic spot. Quality time can be spent here with the family. The place is located at a distance of 60 km from Thrissur city and 5 km from Athirapilly Falls. Vazhachal Falls have dense forests of Sholayar ranges surrounding. During its course on rocky terrain, River Chalakkudy gives out in three branches, which resume its flow surrounding the small islands formed by the riparian forests. These three branches gather momentum on their downward course and plummet to the rocky bed of River Chalakkudy to re-unite.

Vazhachal Falls

6 . Thrissur Zoo :

Formerly known as the Trichur Zoo, Thrissur Zoo and the State Museum is located in the heart of Thrissur city, Kerala. Started in the year 1885, the attraction covers an area of approximately 13.5 acres. The zoo houses a wide variety of animals, reptiles, and birds. Besides the extensive variety of fauna, the zoo has many other attractions to fascinate you. There is a Zoological Garden, Botanical Garden, a Natural History Museum, and an Art Museum, showcasing the socio-cultural heritage of the region.

Thrissur Zoo

How To Reach :

1 . By Flight :

Kochi International Airport is the nearest airport from Thrissur which is well connected to all the major Indian cities via regular flights It is also connected with direct flights from the Middle East, Maldives, Europe, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. You can hire a taxi from Kochi to reach Thrissur.

2 . By Road :

Thrissur is connected to the other major cities through a good network of roads by NH544, NH17, NH47, and NH66. You can also travel to Thrissur by bus from the cities like Kannur, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore, Bangalore, and Coimbatore.

3 . By Train :

Thrissur is well connected and serviced by rail to all the major cities in the country. Daily trains are available from the cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi, and Hyderabad. In fact, the Thrissur Railway Station is the major railhead in South India.

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