Thrissur is a city in Kerala, widely considered its cultural capital.
It is home to some very famous artistic institutions such as the Sahitya Academy, the Sangeeth Nataka Academy, and the famous Kalamandalam.
Kerala’s most extravagant festival, Pooram, is hosted here in Thrissur. Pooram involves lots of decorated elephants and a the beautiful beat of the panchavadyam, 5 instruments traditional to Kerala. It draws thousands of visitors. The festival is held at the Vadakkumnathan temple grounds. The entire city is built around this temple. The temple is in the centre of a mega roundabout that is 64 acres. This is known as the Swaraj round and all roads connect to it. Everything from political rallies to demonstrations and of course the Pooram happens here.
The Shakthan Thampuran Palace is preserved by Archeological Department. Basilica of Our Lady of Dolores is an old Roman Catholic Minor Basilica built in 1875. It boasts of the largest interior of any church in South India.
Athirappally Waterfalls is a beautiful waterfall near Thrissur. With its green foliage, it attracts a lot of visitors. Punnathur Kotta Elephant Sanctuary about 23 km from the city is the largest elephant park in the world with over 60 elephants.
Present day Thrissur owes its planning to the Raja Rama Varma, a popular and foresighted ruler, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran.
Kerala Kalamandalam is an institution founded to encourage study of ancient arts of Kerala like Kathakali and Mohiniyattom. They have day tours which are very popular with people who are culturally inclined. It is in Cheru thuruthy, about 30km from Thrissur.
The Thrissur region was an important trade hub in ancient and medieval times. The region came under the Portuguese rule in the 16th century before the Dutch took control in the 17th century. During the late 18th century, after a series of invasion by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan which destroyed the economy of Thrissur, the region came under the British rule.
Kochi is the nearest airport 85 km away. Regular taxis services are available from Kochi. Thrissur is well connected by regular train service from most major cities in India and by regular bus service to most cities in the state.
Known as the cultural capital of Kerala, Thrissur is a popular tourist destination. Thrissur is known for its natural beauty and scenic attractions such as
Athirapilly Waterfalls, Vazhachal Falls and Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary attract many visitors.
Thrissur is also known for its shrines and temples. Paramekavu Bhagavathy Temple, Vadakkunnathan temple, Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple and the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours are some of the most famous places of worship.
Other notable attractions in and around the city includes Heritage Garden, Archaeological Museum and Shakthan Thampuran Palace.
Until 1914 I loved to travel; I often went to Italy and once spent a few months in India. Since then I have almost entirely abandoned travelling, and I have not been outside of Switzerland for over ten years.