dsp thrissur ch2
TRANSCRIPT
District Spatial Plan - Thrissur HISTORY AND REGIONAL LINKAGE
Department of Town & Country Planning, KeralaDepartment of Town & Country Planning, Kerala
Chapter – 2HISTORY AND REGIONAL LINKAGES
Thrissur is a central coastal district of Kerala situ-
ated approximately 295 Km north of
Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The District
played a very important role in fostering trade rela-
tions between Kerala and outside world in the ancient
and medieval periods. This is an introductory chapter
which include an introduction about Thrissur district,
its historical background and physical setting of the dis-
trict with respect to the nearby important settlements
are described.
2.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Thrissur with its rich history, cultural heritage and
archaeological wealth, is called the cultural capital of
Kerala. From ancient times, this district has played a
significant role in the political history of South India.
Many rulers and dynasties beginning with the Zamorins
of Kozhikode, Tipu Sultan of Mysore and Europeans in-
cluding the Dutch and the British moulded the destiny
of this region. Raja Rama Varma, popularly known as
“Sakthan Thampuran” was the architect of the present
Thrissur Town.
The term Thrissur is the abbreviated anglicized
form of the malayalam word “THRISSIVAPERUR” which
means the town of the “SACRED SIVA”. The town is built
on an elevated ground, at the apex of which is the fa-
mous “VADAKKUNNATHAN” Temple. A place of great
antiquity, Thrissur was also known as
“VRISHABHADRIPURAM” and “TEN KAILASAM” in an-
cient days. Thrissur is also named as ‘Trichur’ during
the colonial period.
The district played a very important role in fos-
tering trade relations between Kerala and outside world
in the ancient and medieval periods. The sea port of
Muziris of the Sangam age is the modern Kodungallur
of Thrissur district.
The political agents of British Government had
their temporary head quarters in Thrissur. The Trichur
was connected by roads to hinterland settlements. The
Trichur-Coimbatore road was inaugurated in 1844. A
narrow gauge railway line from Shornur to Ernakulam
through Thrissur was commissioned in 1902. This was
later converted into broad-gauge in 1944.The existence
of the Trichur Public Library dates back to the seventies
of the 19th century. The Museum, Zoo and Botanical
Gardens were started in 1885. The Central Jail of Cochin
Sakthan Palace, Thrissur
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District Spatial Plan - Thrissur
Department of Town & Country Planning, KeralaDepartment of Town & Country Planning, Kerala
HISTORY AND REGIONAL LINKAGE
State was established in 1914.
The present Trichur district is a part of erstwhile
Cochin state. Cochin state had been divided into
‘Nadus’, these Nadus were subsequently divided into
‘Kovilakathum-vathukkals’ or Taluks. The taluks were
grouped into two divisions- Vadakkemugham and
Thekkemugham. The Cochin area of present Trichur
comes formed part of the Vadakkemugham. With ef-
fect from the 1st July 1949 a new district named Thrissur
was formed with 6 taluks of the erstwhile Cochin State
viz. Thalappilly, Chittoor, Thrissur, Mukundapuram,
Canannore and Cochin-Kanayannur and taluks of erst-
while Travancore areas, namely, Kunnathunad and
Parur.
Melpathoor Narayana Bhattathiri (Narayanee-
yam), Poonthanam (Njanappana), Unnayi Warrier
(Nalacharitham), Kunjikuttan Thampuran known
as Kerala Vyasa, Vallathol Narayana Menon,
C.Achutha Menon, Panditaraja K. Rama Pisharoti
are some prominent personalities belonging to
this district.
Kerala Kalamandalam at Cheruthuruthi, re-
nowned the world over for its Kathakali training
Centre, The Kerala Nritha Kalalayam, The Kerala
Sahithya Academy, The Kerala Sangeetha Nataka
Academy , Kerala Lalithakala Academy (fostering de-
velopment of Kerala Dance, Drama and Music) are lo-
cated here. School of Drama, established in 1977 is also
in this district. The Trichur Town hall contains the Ar-
chaeological Museum and Picture Gallery, where mu-
ral paintings from all parts of the state are copied and
exhibited.
Thrissur city have a large number of historic
temples such as Thiruvambady temple,
Vadakkumnathan temple and Paramekkavu temple and
the temples participates in the colorful Thrissur
pooram. Thrissur pooram is a spectacular religious fes-
tival in South India and known as “Mother of all Poorams”
which brings thousands of people from around the
world. In Thrissur city there are two well known
churches, the Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathe-
dral and the Our Lady of Dolours, popularly known as
“Puthenpally” (the New Church). It is the biggest church
Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthi
The Kerala Sahithya Academy
The Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy
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District Spatial Plan - Thrissur HISTORY AND REGIONAL LINKAGE
Department of Town & Country Planning, KeralaDepartment of Town & Country Planning, Kerala
in South Asia. The Cheraman Juma Masjid, believed to
be the oldest Mosque in India is situated in Thrissur
District.
The famous Sree Krishna temple at Guruvayur lies
just 25 km from Thrissur town. And there are many his-
toric temples like Thriprayar Sree Rama Temple,
Kodungalloor Bhagavathi Temple, Irinjalakuda
Koodalmanikkyam Bharatha Temple, Thiruvilwamala
Villuadrinatha Temple etc.
Millions of money is traded in
the city of Thrissur under the name
Gold and that is why Thrissur is also
Known as the Gold capital of India.
All major jewelleries in Kerala have
branches in Thrissur and 70%
of manufacturing of plain gold and
rolled gold happens in this city.
Thrissur city is also an
important center of garments made
of Silk in Kerala. This city holds the
record for the highest number finan-
cial institution as they exceed 1000,
both government and private. Three predominant
scheduled banks in Kerala, the South Indian Bank, the
Catholic Syrian Bank and Dhanalakshmi bank have their
headquarters at Thrissur. Diamond polishing and auto-
mobile tyre moldings are the remaining industries that
play an important role in Thrissur economy.
Vadakkunnathan Temple Guruvayoor Temple
2.2 REGIONAL LINKAGES
Thrissur district is in the central region of Kerala
state lying between 10010’ and 100 46’ north latitude and
750 57’ and 760 54’ east longitude. Thrissur district is
bounded on the north by Malappuram and Palakkad
Districts, south by Idukki and Ernakulam districts, east
by Palakkad district and Coimbatore district of
TamilNadu and west by Lakshadweep sea.
Thrissur is placed approximately 295
Km north of the state head quarters of
Kerala, 71 kms north to Kochi, the indus-
trial hub of Kerala and 120 kms south to
Kozhikode, the commercial capital of
Malabar region. (figure 2.1) Thrissur town lies 55 km far
from Cochin International air-port and 80 kilometer far
from Kozhikodu air-port. Thrissur railway station is an
important railway station that connects South India to
rest of India through Trivandrum-Chennai and
Trivandrum-Mangalapuram routes. KSRTC operates bus
Puthenpally (New Church) Cheraman Juma
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District Spatial Plan - Thrissur
Department of Town & Country Planning, KeralaDepartment of Town & Country Planning, Kerala
HISTORY AND REGIONAL LINKAGE
services to Thrissur from all important cities in Kerala
and also interstate buses are available to reach Thrissur
from Madurai, Chennai, Coimbathoor etc.
2.3 CONNECTIVITY
The road network is the most important mode of
transportation in the district connecting almost all im-
portant nodes. Thrissur district is well connected with
almost all the major towns and cities of the state as
well as nation. The district has comparatively good con-
nectivity due to the two National Highways (NH-47, NH-
17) having a total length of about 124.56km, twenty State
Highways (374.03km), district roads (1249.06kms) and
the railway route network.
Broadly, the transport network structure in the
district is a network of roads and railway routes. The
existing National Highways in the district are:
1. Kanyakumari – Salem NH-47 start from
Karukutty (Pongam) to Vaniyampara of length 60km.
2. NH-17 from Moothakunnam to
Palapetty of length 64.562km and Kodungallur Bye-Pass
of length 3.75 Km
NH-47 act as a main spine of traffic movement
for the district. It facilitates commutation of passen-
gers and goods from within the state and outside the
Paramekkavu TempleThiruvambadi Temple
Fig 2.1 Regional conectivity with other district
71 k.m.
295 k.m.
120 k.m.
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District Spatial Plan - Thrissur HISTORY AND REGIONAL LINKAGE
Department of Town & Country Planning, KeralaDepartment of Town & Country Planning, Kerala
state. This may be due to the fact that NH 47 is the only
national highway passing through the district in 1980’s.
NH-17 acts as a coastal corridor connecting coastal belt
of Kerala. It also facilitates transportation of perishable
coastal goods.
Railways play an important role in the transport
sector of the district in terms of inter-regional passen-
ger and goods movement. Railways provide the cheaper
and fast inter-city and intra-district transportation fa-
cility for commuters. Thrissur is an important railhead
of southern railways.
The network pattern of the railways in the dis-
trict is primarily in the form of two corridors:Double
lane broad gauge running from Ernakulam to Shornur
(ie. South-North), parallel to NH-47 and East-West Broad
gauge (Single Line) connecting Poonkunnam to world
famous temple town Guruvayoor. Transporation net-
Fig 2.2 Transportation Network - Thrissur District
work of Thrissur district is shown in Fig 2.2
Before the construction of roads in the latter half
of 19th century, inland traffic in the district was carried
on almost entirely over backwaters and rivers. The taluk
of Kodungallur and portions of the taluks of
Mukundapuram and Trichur are so admirably served by
backwaters and rivers that they not only afforded easy
and cheap means of conveying the produce of the inte-
rior to the ports of Cochin, Kodungallur and Chettuvai
but also enabled the old Cochin state to enjoy the lion’s
share of the trade with the Portuguese and the Dutch
on the Malabar coast for nearly 3 centuries. Indeed ca-
nals are important means of communication in early
Cochin that successive rulers devoted much attention
to their improvement and maintenance.
The main canals of the district at that time are
1. Ponnani canal in Chavakkad Taluk
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District Spatial Plan - Thrissur
Departm
ent of Town &
Country Planning, KeralaD
epartment of Tow
n & Country Planning, Kerala
HISTO
RY AN
D REG
ION
AL LIN
KAG
E
Fig 2.3 Water Bodies - Thrissur District
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District Spatial Plan - Thrissur HISTORY AND REGIONAL LINKAGE
Department of Town & Country Planning, KeralaDepartment of Town & Country Planning, Kerala
Thrissur swaraj round
2. Cannoli canal lying between Chavakkad andMukundapuram taluk
3. Shanmughom canal in Mukundapuram taluk
4. Puthenthodu in Trichur taluk
These canals form the main arteries of water com-
munication. Now Canoli canal is only existing water
way. Water bodies in Thrissur district is shown in Fig
2.3.
2.4 INFERENCE
It can be concluded that Thrissur District with its
rich history, heritage, cultural, religious and archaeo-
logical wealth act as cultural capital of the state. Thedistrict is also well known for festivals (ThrissurPooram), number of cultural and art institutions (likeKalamandalam, Kerala Sahithya Accadamy, etc.), goldand diamond industry and number of historic temples,Churches & Mosques. Thrissur District is connected toother parts of the state and the country through twomodes of transport, rail and roads. The waterway, whichwas once the major mode of transport of the district, isin an abandoned state now. The nearest airport“Nedumbassery” (Kochin International Airport) is lo-cated at a distance of 55kms, and the nearest port Kochiat a distance of 80 kms.
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