Temples in Thrissur for a Sacred Pilgrimage Experience

With a collection of beautiful Mural paintings, some of which are more than 400 years old, this gigantic 1000 year old temple and historical structure is famous for the Nataraja Mural near the main gate. The structure till date, displays its original colors without much preservation. The shrine of Vadakkumnathan is also situated there, which is apparently covered completely under ghee for centuries, without any incidence of melting.

Located close to Thrissur city, the popular Arattupuzha temple houses Lord Ayyappa as the presiding deity. Thousands of people throng the temple especially during the annual Arattupuzha Pooram Festival.

Various folklores and myths are associated with Thiruvambadi Krishna Temple. This ancient temple is thus serves as an important pilgrimage centre. Lord Krishna is the presiding deity at the Thiruvambady Krishna Temple.

Triprayar Sri Rama Temple is an ancient temple which is dedicated to Lord Rama and is situated in Triprayar, Thrissur. The prime deity worshipped in the temple is popularly known as Triprayarappan or Triprayar Thevar. The idol of Lord Rama can be seen here holding a conch, a disc, a garland, and a bow with his four arms. This temple also forms a part of the very famous Nalambala Darshana Yatra.

One of the major Shiva Temples situated in Kerala, the Thiruvanchikulam Mahadeva Temple is more than 2000 years old. The capital of Cheru dynasty which ruled the place till the 13th century, this temple is believed to have been constructed by a legendary Chera King known as Cheraman Perumal. The temple is known for the depiction of Lord Shiva (who is the presiding deity) in various forms and also for other minor shrines dedicated to other Gods and Goddesses.

Located in Peruvanam, Thrissur, the Peruvanam Mahadeva Temple is one of the most famous temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The opulent temple comprises of two shrines namely 'Irattayappan Temple' on the North and 'Maadathilappan Temple' on the South of the main temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The dual Shivalinga is the unique feature of the Irattayappan Temple which is the reason why its prime deity is also known as Irattayappan denoting the duality.

Lush green trees on one side and beautiful temple ponds on the other, the Koodalmanikyam Temple is one of the most famous temples of Kerala which was built before the 15th century. Dedicated to Lord Bharatha, who was the brother of Sree Rama, this temple is an architectural wonder belonging to the ancient world with fresco paintings on the wall and four massive ponds in the courtyard. The temple consists of an outstanding gateway which depicts the ancient era in which it was built.

One of the most popular temples in Thrissur, Thechikkottukavu Temple is located at Peramangalam, not far from Amala hospital. The place has everything that is expected of a typical Hindu temple but what catches the eyes of the visitors is the partially blind elephant, Thechikkottukavu Ramachandra, popularly known as Raman, the biggest domesticated elephant in the state and the second tallest in Asia. The creature boasts of a huge fandom. Befitting its status, it often makes its appearance in all the temple festivities and is also a participant of the Thrissur Pooram Festival.

The Hindu temple of Manalarkavu Devi is at Viyyur, 6 or 7 km from Thrissur. Goddess Durga is the main deity here. Other deities like Ayyappaswami, Murugan, Rakshassu and Nagaraja are also housed here. The temple is much frequented by believers owing mainly to the convenient location. The premises are large enough to hold mass gatherings such as children's programmes, buffalo races, wedding ceremonies, etc. The main festival is Manalarkavu Vela, which is held around February. The temple has a spacious parking area and the pond right in front of the temple makes the whole sight more appealing.

Stationed at Cherpu of Thrissur District, this is the only temple with a Nakshatra Vanam. It is dedicated to Lord Vamana, the dwarf Brahmana incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple holds a 1500 years old idol of a spectacle, that of Lord Vamana blessing King Mahabali. The temple is also called Nakshatra Vriksha Kshetram because of the 27 trees inside the compound that symbolize the 27 Nakshatras. The chief festival is Sampoorna Yajurveda Yajna or Other Kootu. Once in every 3 years, the whole Yajurveda text is recited by eminent Vedic scholars. Believers, especially those who are in land-related trouble come to seek blessings.

Although this temple is situated at the heart of Thrissur city, the sacred structure is surrounded by the most tranquil ambience. Sri Krishna is worshipped here in the form of Santana Gopala. The 300 years old structure is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture. It is famous for the performance of Pannivetta, an intriguing ritual, wherein a model of a pig is placed at the foot of the Banyan tree and shot by an arrow. Every year the temple holds a procession which includes the participation of 5 elephants.

The temple is quite near to the Puzhakkal river, in the village of Kuttur, which lies 6 km to the north of Thrissur. While Neithalakkavu Amma, the chief deity faces the west direction, Lord Shiva faces east. Other deities in the temple include Durga, Ganapathy, Anthimahakalan, Rashasu, Shastra etc. The temple is one of the 10 participants in the Thrissur Pooram festival. Neithalakkavu Amma is much revered as the deity of the village of Kuttur and holds the sole authority to open the Thekke or South Gopuram of Vadakkunatha temple for the Thrissur Pooram festivities.

The Ammathiruvadi temple, the first of the 108 Durga temples is in the village of Urakam, around 12 km away from Thrissur. The temple celebrates 5 festivals every year namely Thrikkarthika, Navaratri, Pooram, Illamnira and Vavarat. Thrikkarthika is celebrated on the occasion of Goddess Ammathiruvadi's birthday. On this day the idol of the Goddess is adorned with silk and temple jewels. The temple elephants are also decorated and taken out for the procession. A grand feast is prepared for over 15000 people. Whoever visits the temple on this day are served because rules have it that none should leave the premises on an empty stomach.

It is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Thrissur. Lord Shiva or Mahadeva is the chief deity and the others include Parvathy, Ganapathy, Sastha, Nagaraja and Partha Sarathi. Devotees after reaching the temple complex can go into the temple only after going on a fast for 4 days. Every morning and evening the Deeparadhana is performed with flowers, diyas and arati. It is believed that the arati would rid one of his/her sins of the past life. Shivaratri is the main festival associated with this temple.