page_title: Thrissur district
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Thrissur district / History
caption_attribution_description: English: MacMPen-and-ink and water-colour drawing of the plan of the Hindu temple at Trichur, by John Gould, dated 11 June 1816. Inscribed on front in ink: 'Plan of the Hindoo Temple of Trichoore in Kerala &amp; of its Environs. From the Section of the Survey of Travancore. J. Gould 11th June, 1816.' Travancore, one of the three princely states of Kerala, consists of three natural divisions, a coastal area dotted with lagoons to the west, a midland in the centre and mountain peaks as high as 9,000 feet on the east. One of the most important Hindu complex of Kerala is the Vadakkunatha Temple at Trichur, founded in the 12th century and later reconstructed in the 19th century. The temple houses three shrines (srikovils) facing west, aligned in a single row in a rectangular court surrounded by a colonnnade. The northern one is a circular temple known as Vadakkunnatha, dedicated to Shiva. That at the south is dedicated to Rama. The central of the three temples is dedicated to Shankara Narayana (Hari-Hara), the combined form of Shiva and Vishnu and has a double-roofed circular srikovil. The conical timber roofs are covered with metal and crowned with pot finials. To the west of each shrine is an open pavilion. In the north-west corner of the outer court there is a hall for theatrical performances called kuttambalam, with an impressive overhanging pyramidal roof. The temple has preserved fine wood carvings and mural paintings. This image falls into the public domain as it was taken in India prior to 1 January 1951, and was not published in India after that date. It is in public domain in the United States as well as it was taken prior to 1 January 1951.
context_page_description: Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km², Thrissur district is home to over 9% of Kerala's population.
  Thrissur district is bordered by the districts of Palakkad and Malappuram to the north, and the districts of Ernakulam and Idukki to the south. The Arabian Sea lies to the west and Western Ghats stretches towards the east.
  Thrissur district was formed on 1 July 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as the cultural capital of Kerala, and the land of Poorams. The district is known for its ancient temples, churches, and mosques. Thrissur Pooram is the most colourful temple festival in Kerala.
context_section_description: From ancient times, Thrissur District has played a part in the political history of south India. As the whole of Thrissur used to come under the Madras dynasty before independence, there are many Tamil speaking families here. In Kerala, Palakkad and Thrissur are home to many Tamil Brahmins.The early political history of the District is interlinked with that of the Cheras of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala with their capital at Vanchi. The whole of the present Thrissur District was included in the early Chera Empire. The District can claim to have played a part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period.
  Kodungalloor, which had the distinction of being the "Premium Emporium of India", gave shelter to all the three communities which have contributed to the prosperity of Malabar. These three communities are the Christians, the Jews and the Muslims. The history of Thrissur district from the 9th to the 12th centuries is the history of Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram and the history since the 12th century is the history of the rise and growth of Perumpadappu Swarupam.
  In 1790 Raja Rama Varma (1790–1805) popularly known as Saktan Tampuran ascended the throne of Cochin. With the accession of this ruler the English 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 Nair chieftains and increase of royal power. Another force in the public life of Trichur and its suburbs was the Namboodithiri community and Menons of royal ancestry. 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 has been in the forefront of the country-wide movement for temple entry and abolition of untouchability. The Guruvayur Satyagraha is a memorable episode in the history of the national movement.
caption: Map of City of Thrissur with Vadakkunnathan Temple prepared by John Gould in 1816.
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