THRISSUR - PAST AND PRESENT
The name THRISSUR is
derived from 'Thiru-Shiva-Perur' (which literally translates to "The City
with the name of the Lord Siva". Thrissur was
also known as "Vrishabhadripuram" and then "Kailasam"
(Kailasam of the South) in ancient days. Another interpretation is
'Tri-shiva-peroor' or the big land with three Shiva temples, which refers to
the three places where Lord
Shiva resides - namely Vadakkumnathan
Temple, Peruvanam Siva Temple and Avittathur Siva
Temple
THRISSUR is the fifth largest city ,
and the third most populated urban
agglomeration (Pop. 1,854,783) in
the Indian state of Kerala. It is also
the headquarters of the Thrissur
District. Thrissur city is built around a 65-acre (26 ha) hillock called
the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple. Thrissur was
once the capital of Kingdom of
Cochin. It is located about 290 kilometres (180 mi) north-west of the
state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Thrissur is also known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala because of 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 theThrissur 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
Cathedraland the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours.
The modern city of
Thrissur rose in to importance after Rama Varma Kunhjipilla Thampuran or Rama
Varma IX or popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran ascended the throne of Kingdom of Cochin (1769 to 1805). He changed the capital of Cochin Royal Family to Thrissur fromMattancherry.
He abolished the power of Namboothiri community, which controlled most of the temples
of Thrissur district. The maharaja destroyed the forest around
the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple, and started the most spectacular cultural
festival called Thrissur Pooram. Sakthan Thampuran laid the modern foundation stone of Thrissur and
made the city in to a major financial and commercial hub of South India,
by inviting Syrian Christian families and Brahminsfrom
adjoining areas
In 1947, when India gained independence from the British rule,
Thrissur was under Kingdom of Cochin. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters
at Thrissur city. The city was named as the "Cultural Capital of Kerala" by the Government of Kerala. The city had been a breeding ground of
famous politicians and bureaucrats like R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, P.C. Rao, C. Achutha Menon, K. Karunakaran,Joseph Mundassery, Vinod Rai etc. after the independence. These individuals
have changed the trajectory of Thrissur city afterwards.
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. (AD
51-52). The country’s first
mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, opened in AD 629. It has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English.
The city has served as an incubator for
many Malayali entrepreneurs, 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 Bankand 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
attracts the largest 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, Jawahar Bal Bhavan Thrissur, Kerala Police Academy, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala
University of Medical and Allied Sciences and Kerala Institute of Local
Administration (KILA)
Thrissur is home to many leading
Malayali entrepreneurs, and is a
major financial and commercial hub of Kerala. Historians say that King Sakthan Thampuran had invited several Syrian Christian families and Brahmins to
settle in Thrissur city from their business centers in adjoining areas. Soon,
Thrissur became a flourishing centre of internal trade in Kerala. Thrissur is one of the major manufacturing centers
of plain gold and rolled gold jewelry
in South India; up to 70% of Kerala's jewellery is manufactured in Thrissur. There are
around 3,000 gold ornaments manufacturing units in the city and 40,000-odd
artisans and others work in these units. The
industry provides direct and indirect employment to 200,000 people in Thrissur. The
artisans based in these units, craft nearly 85 percent of one tonne gold which
is used per day in Kerala. About 90 tonnes of gold was being used annually in Kerala for
manufacturing of ornaments daily.
According to Reserve Bank of India, the city in the
1930s boasted of head offices of 58 banks and was recognised by RBI as 'Banking
Town'. Even now also it's the headquarters of major banks like South Indian Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank, Dhanalakshmi Bank, Lord Krishna Bank and non-banking institutions like Manappuram General Finance and Leasing
Ltd, Kerala State Financial
Enterprise andESAF Microfinance
and Investments. The city’s
financial capabilities also saw the rise of Chit
fund. According to All Kerala Kuri Foreman's Association, Kerala have
around 5,000 chit companies, with Thrissur District accounting for the maximum of 3,000.
These chit companies provide employment to about 35,000 persons directly and an
equal number indirectly
Modern retailing is a
big business and revenue earner for the city. Jewellery and textile retailing
occupies a major part of the retailing business in Thrissur. The city is
considered as hub of jewellery and textile business in Kerala. Most of the jewellery groups have outlets
in Thrissur and provide jobs to thousands of people. Kalyan Group, Jos Alukka & Sons, Joyalukkas, Josco Group, Seemas Wedding
Collections, Pulimoottil Silks, Emmanuval Silks, Sree Lakshmi Silks, Fashion
Fabrics, Elite Fabrics, Elite Sareee House, Modern Silks, Manshire, Lakshmi
Silks, Kalima Collections and Chakola Silkhouse are the few to name. InfoPark Thrissur, the third technology park in Kerala after Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi is situated in Thrissur District. Tourism has also contributed heavily to the economy of
Thrissur. Domestic tourists generally use the city as a hub to explore the
highly promoted tourism industry of the state ofKerala. The city with its temples, old churches and its
culture, is ranked first in the number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala
Literary lineage of Thrissur dates back to early history of Kerala but it came to prominence after Kerala Government set up Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi, Kerala Sahitya Academy, Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy and College of Fine Arts, Thrissur for promoting literature, music and arts in Kerala. After the Indian
Independence, Thrissur became the literary capital of Kerala as turned to the playground of novelist, poets and orators. In
1952 when Current Books set its first shop in Thrissur by former education
Minister Professor Joseph Mundassery,
it become the abode of writer’s like O V Vijayan, Kovilan, VKN, Uroob,
Edassery, M T Vasudevan Nair, K G Sankarapillai and Sarah Joseph. The area was
later known Current Moola (corner) or Current Corner. Literary gaints like Kovilan, Kunhunni
Mash, Sukumar Azhikode, K.
Satchidanandan, Mullanezhi, Sarah Joseph (author), Attoor Ravi Varma, Lalitha
Lenin, P. Bhaskaran, Joseph Mundassery are all belong to Thrissur
Cuisine
The cuisine of Thrissur is linked to its history, geography,
demography and culture. Rice is the staple food. Achappam and Kuzhalappam are popular snacks. Vellayappam, a kind
of hopper is another dish which is special to the city.
