Thrissur district

Thrissur ( Trichur / Trissur) (: തൃശ്ശൂര്‍) is a district situated in the central part of state,. Thrissur district was formed in July 1, 1949. The head quarters of the district has the same name, Thrissur City. It is an important cultural centre, and is known as the "Cultural Capital of Kerala". It is famous for the festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival of Kerala. It has a large number of well known temples around, including, , and.

Etymology
The name Thrissur is derived from 'Tri-Shiva-Perur' (: തൃശ്ശിവേപരൂ൪), which means the place with three famous s which are said to be the Vadakkunnathan,  and. (Alternately, the name can be parsed as 'Thiru-Siva-Perur', the place with the holy name of ). Thrissur was also known as Vrishabhadripuram and Ten Kailasam in ancient days.

History
From ancient times, Thrissur District has played a significant part in the political history of south India. The early political history of the District is interlinked with that of the s of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala with their capital at. The whole of the present Thrissur District was included in the early. The District can claim to have played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period. which had the unique distinction of being the "Primum Emporium India", also belongs to the signal honour of having first given shelter to all the three communities which have contributed to the prosperity of '. These three communities are the Christians, the Jews and the s. The history of Thrissur District from the 9th to the 12th centuries is the history of Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram and the history since 12th century is the history of the rise and growth of Perumpadappu Swarupam. In 1790 Raja Rama Varma (1790-1805) popularly known as ascended the throne of. With the accession of this ruler the or modern period in the history of Cochin and of the District began. Saktan Tampuran was mainly responsible for the destruction of the power of the feudal chieftains and increase of royal power. Another potent force in the public life of and its suburbs was the  community. A large part of the Trichur Taluk was for long under the domination of the Yogiatiripppads, the ecclesiastical heads of the Vadakkunnathan and Perumanam Devaswoms. The wave of nationalism and political consciousness which swept through the country since the early decades of this century has its repercussions in the District as well. Thrissur District can claim the honour of having been in the forefront of the country-wide movement for temple entry and abolition of untouchability. The famous  Satyagraha is a memorable episode in the history of the national movement.



Demographics
India, Thrissur District had a population of 2,975,440. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Thrissur has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 87%, and female literacy is 85%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

s ,s and s constitute the bulk of the population of this district.

The and the  are numerically the most dominant  of Thrissur. There is also a large population of and Pattars. The Scheduled Castes, around 12 % of the population of the district, also form a significant section among the Hindus of the district.

The Catholics - both  and, s and Chaldeans  are  the main sections of the Christian Community in the district. Catholics constitute 91% of the Christian population of the district spreading in  5 dioceses namely Thrissur(4,60,000), Irinjalakkuda(2,52,000) and Kottappuram(75,000). Jacobites and Chaldean Syrians constitute the rest. Kunnamkulam, a small town in the northern part of the district is the important center for the Jacobites. Jacobite church (40000 followers counting both factions together) has 2 diocese in the district, namely Kunnamkulam for Orthodox faction and Thrissur for jacobite faction. Chaldean Syrians speread around Thrissur city with 25000 followers. A church known as Thozhiyoor church has its own heardquarters at Guruvayur with 7000 followers.

Muslims live predominantly in costal belt, from north Punnayoorkkulam to South Azhikode, of the district. Sunnis are the major section in Muslim community.



Barefacts
Source: Official Statistics 2007

Geography and climate


Thrissur is situated in south western India and is in the central part of  state_name,. Thrissur is at sea level and spans an area of about 3032. It is bounded on the north by Palakkad district, on the east by Palakkad district and Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, on the south by Ernakulam and Idukki districts, and on the west by the Arabian Sea(54 km). Descending from the heights of the Western Ghats in the east, the land slopes towards the west forming three distinct natural divisions - the highlands, the plains and the sea board

The, the , the , the (main tributary of the Karuvannur river) and the Ponnani are the main river systems in the district. They take their origin from the mountains on the east, and flow westward and discharge into the. There are a number of tributaries also joining these main rivers. There are waterfalls such as.

The district has a tropical humid climate with an oppressive hot season and plentiful and seasonal rainfall. The hot season from March to May is followed by the South West Monsoon season from June to September. The period from December to February is the North East season, although the rain stop by the end of December and the rest of the period is generally dry.



Culture
Thrissur is built around a hillock, crowned by the famous (Siva) Temple, believed to have been founded by legendary. The temple is a classical example of Kerala style of architecture and houses several sacted shrines.

and 20 others who were the followers, the founder of Islam, first landed in  in Thrissur district when they came to India. Islam received royal patronage in some states here, and later spread to other parts of India. He built a mosque  there in the shape of a Hindu temple. It could also have been the first mosque in the world as the exact date of making is not known. Though, generally it is considered to be the second mosque of the world after the mosque in Medina,Saudi Arabia

Thrissur also has added to its name The , popularly known as the New Church. It is the biggest church in. The first church of India is also situated in Thrissur, the St. Thomas church at Palayoor. The Metropolitan of the (the name used for the  in ) is also headquartered in Thrissur, and many religious publications are printed by Mar Narsai Press. The largest Christian piligrim centre in the district, St.Joseph's Shrine is situated at Pavaratty.

is believed to have landed in Kodungalloor (Formerly called Muziris) in 52 AD. The Thomas Church established by him houses ancient relics.



is situated 25 km north-west of the city, here the famous Sree Krishna temple is situated, is one of the most sacred and important pilgrim centres of India. The historic temple is shrouded in mystery. According to belief, the temple was created by Guru - the preceptor of the Gods and Vayu - the God of winds.

The major cultural attraction is the festival, celebrated during April - May, the Elephant Umbrella competition is spectacular, as richly caparisoned elephants carrying ceremonial umbrellas take the deity around the main temple. The passionate drum concerts and the spectacular firework displays are all part of the Pooram celebration.

Another attraction is a Sri Rama temple at Triprayar. The Ekadashi festival attracts thousands of devotees.

, and  are head quartered at Thrissur making the epithet 'Cultural Capital of Kerala' more meaningful.

However, it is interesting to note that the culture of the Talappilly Taluk, northern part of Thrissur district, slightly differs from other parts of the district, and resembles in festivals and customs. 

Government and Politics
The main legislative constituency in the district is Thrissur City. Apart from the city constituency, there are 13 other from the district of Thrissur:, , , , , , , , , , , , and.

There are two parliament constituencies : Thrissur and Mukundapuram. Sri.C.K.Chandrappan is the Thrissur M.P and Sri. Lonappan Nambadan is the Mukundapuram M.P.

For administrative purposes, the district of Thrissur is divided into five. These five taluk centres are administrative hubs for 151 villages in Thrissur.



Media
The first newspaper which published from Thrissur was Lokamanyan in 1920. Then came Deenabandhu in 1941. Major Malayalam published in Thrissur include ', ', ' and ',  and. A number of evening papers are also published from the city. Newspapers in other regional languages like Hindi,, Tamil and are also sold in large numbers.

Industries
Thrissur is famous for the power industry and the  Mills like the Alagappa Textiles in, Kerala Lakshmi Mills at , Thrissur Cotton Mills at , Rajgopal Textiles at , Sitaram Spinning and Weaving Mills Thrissur, Vanaja Textiles at  and Kunnath Textiles at Thrissur. Thrissur are engaged in the manufacture of hosiery products. The and the  industry offer employment for many people in the district. The first in the state was erected at Trichur (1905). Most of the is brought down from the forests to Thrissur and, which are the most important timber marts in the District. industry has sprung up in Thrissur and Darlco Cannings and Kayee Plantations Cannings; both situated at Thrissur are important units. The Thrissur Fruits and Vegetables Marketing Society are establishing a canning industrial unit at and it is going on very successfully. Besides all these the match stick industry,, etc give Thrissur its fame as a bustling industrial centre. The first Worker's of the state was opened in Thrissur (1957).

Places of Interest in Thrissur Rural

 * (63 km from Thrissur City) This 80 feet high waterfall at the threshold of the Sholayar ranges is a popular picnic spot. Two amusement parks - DreamWorld and SilverStorm - are located nearby.
 * Just a short drive from is close to dense forests and a part of the  river.
 * (23 km from city) It is the largest elephant park in the world, with over 60 elephants.
 * (20 km from city) It is a good picnic spot
 * (25 km) A sea shore for rare scenic beauty. Acknowledged as one of the best beaches along the west coast.
 * (24 km from city) It is a good picnic spot
 * (35 km from city) It is a beautiful picnic spot with facilities for boating


 * (30 km) It is in and was founded by the Poet, to encourage the study of the ancient arts of Kerala such as  and.
 * - built around 612 AD by Malik Ibn Dinar. First mosque constructed in India. A block of white marble in the mosque is believed to have been brought from Mecca.

Villages In Thrissur

 * A small village 4 km from Kunnamkulam assumes significance because of its numerous Poorams like Kalleyi and Panthalloor. It also is home to numerous caves of historical significance.
 * This small village near Mattom and Pavaratti assumes significance because of the Thrissur-Guruvayur rail link that cuts and crosses the village.
 * This is the one of special grade panchayat in the Trichur district, and a part of Malabar,with number of TEMPLES, mosques and church,"THIS IS THE GOLD COAST OF THRISSUR". National Highway 17 cross through Vadanappally.
 * This small village near Mattom and Pavaratti assumes significance because of the Thrissur-Guruvayur rail link that cuts and crosses the village.
 * This is the one of special grade panchayat in the Trichur district, and a part of Malabar,with number of TEMPLES, mosques and church,"THIS IS THE GOLD COAST OF THRISSUR". National Highway 17 cross through Vadanappally.
 * This is the one of special grade panchayat in the Trichur district, and a part of Malabar,with number of TEMPLES, mosques and church,"THIS IS THE GOLD COAST OF THRISSUR". National Highway 17 cross through Vadanappally.
 * This is the one of special grade panchayat in the Trichur district, and a part of Malabar,with number of TEMPLES, mosques and church,"THIS IS THE GOLD COAST OF THRISSUR". National Highway 17 cross through Vadanappally.
 * This is the one of special grade panchayat in the Trichur district, and a part of Malabar,with number of TEMPLES, mosques and church,"THIS IS THE GOLD COAST OF THRISSUR". National Highway 17 cross through Vadanappally.

