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Vadakkumnathan Temple Thrissur

About Vadakkumnathan Temple:

The beautiful city of Thrissur (originally called as Trichur), is one of the oldest in Kerala State and is mainly famous for its ancient shiva temple dedicated to Vadakkunathan, which is situated on an elevated hillock right in the centre of the city. The temple attracts thousands of devotees adn visitors from all over teh land. Like many South Indian Temples, it has a solemn atmosphere, associated with age and centureis of devotion, which we do not find in many of the temples of North India . Once the capital of old Cochin State , Thrissur changed hands from the Zamorin of Cochin to Tippu Sultan of Mysore in the 18th century. In the ancient days the place was known as “Tiru Shiva Perur’ or the town with the name of Lord Shiva. Many years ago, the vast open region around the temple was a beautiful plantation forest of teak treees called ‘Tekkinkadu’. Today, the forest is totally cleared but the tranquil atmosphere of the temple prevails all round. With it is associated the famous Parasurama, the incarnation of Maha Vishnu, who is said to be the founder of this Shiva temple. The name of Parasurama is always with Kerala, as is the naem fo sage Agastya with the Pandyans in Tamilnadu. According to local tradition, it is believed that the great Kerala teacher Adi Shankaracharya was also connected with this temple. Aryamba, the mother of Shankara Worshipped Shiva at this temple to beget a son. It is said that she used to walk to Thrissur from Kalady. The first feeling one gets on entering through the gates of the temple is the incredible space and light. The elegant architectural style that is unique to Kerala becomes evident. As a major departure from all other South Indian temples with their towering ‘gopurams’, the temples of Kerala are not imposing in appearance.

General Information about Vadakkumnathan Temple:

Location: Thrissur

State: Kerala

Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

Language: Malayalam, English, Hindi

Temperature: Max 36˚C, Min 28˚C (summer), Max 28˚C, Min 18˚C (winter)

Best Season: October to March

How to Reach Vadakkumnathan Temple:

By Air:

The nearest airport to Thrissur is Nedumbassery International Airport at Kochi, at a distance of 55 km. Taxi services are available from Kochi to Thrissur costing about Rs 700. Kochi airport is well connected to all major airports in India and also connected to many foreign cities. Direct flights are available to Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

By Rail:

Thrissur is a major railhead in the Southern Railway. Thrissur is well connected by trains to all major stations in India.

By Road:

Frequent bus services are available from all cities in Kerala to Thrissur. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses connect Thrissur with other cities. Private bus services are available locally in the city for easy travel. Super deluxe buses connect Thrissur with other important cities like Kochi, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Palaghat, Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and Bangalore.

By Local Transport:

By Bus – local bus service system is cheap.

By Auto rickshaw – Auto rickshaws are the main form of local transport, if you don’t have your own means of transportation. Auto rickshaws running in the city limits are to use fare meters, while the ones from the adjacent areas need not use them. However it is a rule that such auto rickshaws without metres should not pick up passengers within city limits. There is a pre-paid auto rickshaw counter at Thrissur Railway Station.

By Taxi – Local taxis are also available at cheap rates. Please note that there are no local Taxis (Yellow cabs or the one’s having yellow roof and black body). The taxis known as ‘Tourist taxis’ are meant for long travel or one day trips.