Thrissur previously known as Trichur, is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. It is 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. By population, Thrissur is the 5th largest city in Kerala, after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kollam. The nearest international airport is Cochin International Airport, Nedumbassery.

Thrissur is known as the 'Cultural Capital of Kerala' because 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 the Thrissur 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 Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours. Thrissur is also the venue of Pulikali during Onam celebrations in August or September.

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. (A.D. 51-52) The country’s first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, opened in A.D. 629. It has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English.

The city is an incubator for every Malayali entrepreneur, 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 Bank and 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 ranks first in the 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, Kerala Police Academy, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA).

Culture and literature

Thrissur, often hailed as the Cultural Capital of Kerala, is built around a hillock crowned by the famous Vadakkunnathan temple, believed to have been founded by the legendary saint Parasurama. This Shiva temple is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture and houses several sacred shrines and with beautiful murals delineating graphically, various episodes from the Mahabharata. The shrines and the Koothambalam display exquisite vignettes carved in wood. The sprawling Thekkinkadu maidan, encircling the Vadakumnathan temple, is the main venue of the Thrissur Pooram. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple is situated in Thrissur and is one of the largest Sree Krishna temples in Kerala. Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple which is one of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala is one of the two rival groups participating in Thrissur Pooram festival.

Asia's highest church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours (Puthan Pally), Our Lady of Lourdes's Metropolitan Cathedral of Syrian Catholics is noted for its imposing interior. Its main attraction is an underground shrine which is a masterpiece of architectural design. The Sacred Heart Latin Church of Latin Catholics and the Mart Mariam Big Church, Indian headquarters of Assyrian Church of the East, are also situated at Thrissur. The district also houses the headquarters of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church in Thozhiyoor.

The ancient port of Muziris or Kodungaloor is the cradle of Christianity and Islam in India. This is where St. Thomas arrived in India. Later he established the first church in India at Palayur. Kodungaloor houses the first Muslim mosque of the country built by Cheraman Perumaal, a Hindu king who accepted Islam. It is believed that Adi Shankara spent his last days here.

The major cultural attraction is the Thrissur Pooram festival, celebrated during April and May. The Elephant - Umbrella Display 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 of this city is the "Puli Kali" ("Puli" means 'tiger' and "Kali" means 'play') on the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Nalaam Onam). It is a procession of different clubs from all over the city. Participants with tiger-striped body paint captivate the onlookers with their energetic dances. The festival attracts thousands to the city. Thrissur is widely acclaimed as the land of elephant lovers.

Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Thrissur and Kerala Lalithakala Akademi are headquartered at Thrissur. Kerala Sahitya Akademi was established to promote the growth of Malayalam language and literature. Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi promotes dance, music, drama and folk arts of Kerala. Kerala Lalitakala Akademi was established to promote fine arts and artistic heritage. For the last few years, the city has been hosting the Thrissur International Film Festival. Around 100 films from 35 countries are shown. It is the second largest film festival in Kerala; the largest is in Thiruvananthapuram.

Thrissur can easily be called the cradle of Indian Communism. Famous thinkers such as Joseph Mundassery, C. Achuthamenon and many others were from this city. Current Books and House of Knowledge were two prominent bookstores in the 1950s to 80s of Thrissur history. A land of famous writers, artists, musicians and journalists as well, Thrissur boasts of having benefited from the best of men and women. All belonging to Thrissur, Ouseppachan, Johnson, Mohan Sitara, Alphonse are well-known film musicians and Bharathan, Kamal, Lohithadas, Lal Jose, Sathyan Anthikkad, Bharath Premji are noted film directors. .

Thrissur is also the birth place of Kerala's Indian Coffee House movement. The first ICH of the state was opened in Thrissur in 1959 with Advocate T.K. Krishnan and Nadakkal Parameswaran Pillai as founders. The laid-back business culture of Thrissur is well known amongst the rest of Kerala. Known for their quick-witted repartee and accents, the Thrissurians still maintain a daily working schedule of 10 am - 7 pm. Thekkinkadu Maidan is full of card players and evening political debates take place here every day.