Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur
Thrissur, Kerala
The Vadakkunnathan Temple is an old Shiva temple in the centre of Thrissur, and the focal point of the famous Thrissur Pooram. A local legend says that Parashurama established it, and it is said to be the first among the 108 Shiva temples of ancient Kerala. The temple has a tall wall around a large banyan-shaded ground, the Koothambalam (a hall for temple theatre), and wall paintings, some of them more than four centuries old. It has won the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award.
What to see and do
- Have darshan of Lord Vadakkunnathan, Shiva, in the main shrine
- See the Koothambalam, the old hall for temple theatre
- Look for the old Kerala-style murals
- Walk around the temple wall and the large ground in the middle of Thrissur
Ideal for
- Shiva devotees and followers of old Kerala temple art
- Visitors to Thrissur and the Thrissur Pooram
- Pilgrims on a Kerala temple circuit
Good to know
- Reported timings are about 4 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8:15 pm, so check locally
- The temple has a strict dress code: reported as bare-chested men in a dhoti, so check the rules at the gate
- Non-Hindus are reported as not allowed in the sanctum, but they can see the outside and the compound
- Phone and camera rules inside are not confirmed, so ask at the gate
- The Thrissur Pooram in April or May is extremely crowded
Spiritual significance
Vadakkunnathan is the heart of Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, and its temple ground is the stage for the Pooram festival. The temple is also one of the oldest examples of the Kerala style of building and art.
Why it matters
- A very old Shiva temple: said to be the first of the 108 Shiva temples of ancient Kerala
- The Thrissur Pooram: the focal point of Kerala's best-known festival
- Old Kerala art: the Koothambalam and murals more than four centuries old