1.
Malayali
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The Malayali or Malayalee are an ethno-linguistic group native to the South Indian state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and have the Malayalam language as their mother tongue. The Malayali community in India has a history of immigrants to the region from various parts of the world, according to the Indian census of 2011, there are approximately 33 million Malayalis in Kerala, making up 96. 7% of the total population of the state. Hence the word Keralite is often used synonymously with Malayali, malayala Nadu, Mala Nadu are literary terms, that means Kerala. As well as according to A. R. Raja Raja Varma, Malayalam was the name of the place, Malayalam, the native language of Malayalis, has its origin from the words mala meaning mountain and alam meaning land or locality. Hence the term Malayali refers to the people from the mountains who lived beyond the Western Ghats, there were a further 701,673 in Karnataka,557,705 in Tamil Nadu and 406,358 in Maharashtra. The number of Malayalam speakers in Lakshadweep is 51,100, which is only 0. 15% of the total number, in all, Malayalis made up 3. 22% of the total Indian population in 2001. Of the total 33,066,392 Malayalam speakers in India in 2001,33,015,420 spoke the dialects,19,643 spoke the Yerava dialect and 31,329 spoke non-standard regional variations like Eranadan. As per the 1991 census data,28. 85% of all Malayalam speakers in India spoke a language and 19. 64% of the total knew three or more languages. Large numbers of Malayalis have settled in Bangalore, Delhi, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, a large number of Malayalis have also emigrated to the Middle East, the United States, and Europe. There were 7,093 Malayalam speakers in Australia in 2006, the 2001 Canadian census reported 7,070 people who listed Malayalam as their mother tongue, mostly in the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario. The 2006 New Zealand census reported 2,139 speakers,134 Malayalam speaking households were reported in 1956 in Fiji. There is also a considerable Malayali population in the Persian Gulf regions, especially in Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. World Malayalee Council, the working with the Malayali diaspora across the Globe has embarked upon a project for making a data bank of the diaspora. Malayali cultural genesis can be traced to their membership in a historical region known as Tamilakam, encompassing the Chera, Chola. For that reason, a distinct culture was created among the Malayali due to centuries of contact with foreign cultures through the spice trade. The arrival of the Cochin Jews, and the rise of Saint Thomas Christians in particular were very significant in shaping modern day Malayali culture, Malayalis can now be seen in all the countries of the world with the excellence of adaptation to any culture, food habits, language. Malayalam is the language spoken by the Malayalis, Malayalam is derived from old Tamil and Sanskrit in the 6th century. For cultural purposes Malayalam and Sanskrit formed a language known as Manipravalam, Malayalam is the only among the major Dravidian languages without diglossia
2.
Hindu
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Hindu refers to any person who regards themselves as culturally, ethnically, or religiously adhering to aspects of Hinduism. It has historically used as a geographical, cultural, or religious identifier for people indigenous to South Asia. The historical meaning of the term Hindu has evolved with time, by the 16th century, the term began to refer to residents of India who were not Turks or Muslims. The historical development of Hindu self-identity within the Indian population, in a religious or cultural sense, is unclear, competing theories state that Hindu identity developed in the British colonial era, or that it developed post-8th century CE after the Islamic invasion and medieval Hindu-Muslim wars. A sense of Hindu identity and the term Hindu appears in texts dated between the 13th and 18th century in Sanskrit and regional languages. The 14th- and 18th-century Indian poets such as Vidyapati, Kabir and Eknath used the phrase Hindu dharma, the Christian friar Sebastiao Manrique used the term Hindu in religious context in 1649. In the 18th century, the European merchants and colonists began to refer to the followers of Indian religions collectively as Hindus, in contrast to Mohamedans for Mughals, scholars state that the custom of distinguishing between Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs is a modern phenomenon. Hindoo is a spelling variant, whose use today may be considered derogatory. At more than 1.03 billion, Hindus are the third largest group after Christians. The vast majority of Hindus, approximately 966 million, live in India, according to Indias 2011 census. After India, the next 9 countries with the largest Hindu populations are, in decreasing order, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United States, Malaysia, United Kingdom and Myanmar. These together accounted for 99% of the worlds Hindu population, the word Hindu is derived from the Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit word Sindhu, which means a large body of water, covering river, ocean. It was used as the name of the Indus river and also referred to its tributaries, the Punjab region, called Sapta Sindhava in the Vedas, is called Hapta Hindu in Zend Avesta. The 6th-century BCE inscription of Darius I mentions the province of Hidush, the people of India were referred to as Hinduvān and hindavī was used as the adjective for Indian in the 8th century text Chachnama. The term Hindu in these ancient records is an ethno-geographical term, the Arabic equivalent Al-Hind likewise referred to the country of India. Among the earliest known records of Hindu with connotations of religion may be in the 7th-century CE Chinese text Record of the Western Regions by the Buddhist scholar Xuanzang, Xuanzang uses the transliterated term In-tu whose connotation overflows in the religious according to Arvind Sharma. The Hindu community occurs as the amorphous Other of the Muslim community in the court chronicles, wilfred Cantwell Smith notes that Hindu retained its geographical reference initially, Indian, indigenous, local, virtually native. Slowly, the Indian groups themselves started using the term, differentiating themselves, the poet Vidyapatis poem Kirtilata contrasts the cultures of Hindus and Turks in a city and concludes The Hindus and the Turks live close together, Each makes fun of the others religion
3.
Temple festivals of Kerala
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Kerala which is often referred to as Gods Own Country has a large number of Hindu temples. Many of the temples have unique traditions and most hold festivals on specific days of the year, temple festivals usually continue for a number of days. A common characteristic of these festivals is the hoisting of a flag which is then brought down only on the final day of the festival. Some festivals include Poorams, the most famous of these being the Thrissur Pooram, temples that can afford it will usually involve at least one richly caparisoned elephant as part of the festivities. The idol of the God in the temple is taken out on a procession around the countryside atop this elephant, when the procession visits homes around the temple, people will usually present rice, coconuts, and other offerings to the God. Processions often include traditional music such as Panchari melam or Panchavadyam
4.
Thrissur
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It is also the headquarters of the Thrissur District. The City is built around a 65-acre hillock called the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple, Thrissur was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. It is located 300 kilometres towards north-west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur is also known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala because of its cultural, spiritual and religious leanings throughout history. It contains the Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, the city hosts the Thrissur Pooram festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival in Kerala. The festival is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan in April or May, Thrissur has historically been a centre of Hindu scholarship. The city has one of the most important temples of Hindu Shaivism, the district is also home of one of the most holiest Hindu Vaishnava temples, the Guruvayur temple. Christianity, Islam and Judaism entered into the Indian subcontinent through the Thrissur District, the works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings claim Thomas the Apostle to have set foot in Muziris near Thrissur 2,000 years ago. The countrys first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, opened in AD629, Thrissur has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English. The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali entrepreneurs and it flexes its economic muscle in India as the headquarters of three major scheduled banks, South Indian Bank Ltd, Catholic Syrian Bank and Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd and a clutch of Chit funds. The city is also a big centre for shopping in Kerala for silks, Thrissur attracts the largest number of domestic tourists in Kerala. The name Thrissur is a form of Thiru-Shiva-Per-Ur literally translates to The City or Town with the name of the Lord Shiva. The name owes itself to the most prominent feature of the city, that is the Vadakkumnathan Temple, Thrissur was also known as Vrishabhadripuram Kailasam of the South) in ancient days. The Ramavarmapuram monument is in granite and is of the menhir type, the monument in Ramavarmapuram is 15 feet in height and 12 feet 4 inches wide. Since 1944, it has been protected by the Department of Archaeology, the monument is locally known as Padakkallu or Pulachikkallu. These menhirs are memorials put up at sites for the departed souls. They belong to the Megalithic Age of Kerala, which is estimated between 1000 BCE and 500 CE. All such monuments have not been dated exactly, some experts are of the view that these are the remnants of the Neolithic Age in the development of human technology. The Ramavarmapuram menhir is also believed to be a monument belonging to the Sangam period in the South Indian history, another monolithic monuments like Dolmens and rock-cut caves are at Porkulam, Chiramanengad, Eyyal, Kattakambal and Kakkad
5.
Ilanjithara Melam
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Ilanjithara Melam is an assembly of percussion performance artist held at Ilanji tree at the courtyard of the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur city during the Thrissur Pooram. It is considered as one of the best platforms for traditional Kerala music, the Melam in technical exactness and instrumental discipline are the best example of Pandi Melam. The Pandi Melam of Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple is famously known as Ilanjithara Melam, the Melam begin at the Ilanjithara in the Vadakkunnathan Temple around 2.30 PM, and goes for around four continuous hours. The base of Pandi Melam is the Tripura Thaalam, correct number of instrumentalists participating in Melam is 222. But more than 250 instrumentalists assemble because of its prominence and various other reasons,100 Chendas,75 Elathalams 21 Kombu and 21 Kurunkuzhal is the number of instruments in each category. There are 7 types of Melangal viz Panchari, Champa, Chempada, Adantha, Anchadatha, Druvam, Adantha Thalam is the Thalam performed in the Ilanjithara Melam. Peruvanam Kuttan Marar is the current Chief of Ilanjithara Melam and he joined Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple team in 1977 and later became its leader in 1999. He has been the Chief for 18 years and has associated with Ilanjithara Melam for 35 years. Kuzhoor Narayana Marar, another veteran percussionist, was part of the Paramekkavu team for 41 years. He was its Chief for 12 years, pandaarathil Eachara Marar - 1940s Peruvanam Narayana Marar Peruvanam Appu Marar - 1960s Thrippekkulam Achutha Marar Pallavoor Appu Marar Peruvanam Kuttan Marar
6.
Nakshatra
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Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 28 sectors along the ecliptic and their names are related to the most prominent asterisms in the respective sectors. This version may have been called Meshādi or the start of Aries, but some Hindu calendars are based on the older versions. The ecliptic is divided into each of the nakshatras eastwards starting from this point, the number of nakshatras reflects the number of days in a sidereal month, the width of a nakshatra traversed by the Moon in about one day. Each nakshatra is further subdivided into four quarters, the nakshatras of traditional bhartiya astronomy are based on a list of 28 asterisms found in the Atharvaveda and also in the Shatapatha Brahmana. The first astronomical text that lists them is the Vedanga Jyotisha, in classical Hindu scriptures, the creation of the nakshatras is attributed to Daksha. They are personified as daughters of the deity and as wives of Chandra, the Moon god, or alternatively the daughters of Kashyapa, the brother of Daksha. Each of the nakshatras is governed as lord by one of the nine graha in the sequence, Ketu, Shukra, Surya, Chandra, Mangala, Rahu, Brihaspati, Shani. This cycle repeats itself three times to cover all 27 nakshatras, the lord of each nakshatra determines the planetary period known as the dasha, which is considered of major importance in forecasting the life path of the individual in Hindu astrology. In Vedic Sanskrit, the term nákṣatra may refer to any heavenly body, the classical concept of a lunar mansion is first found in the Atharvaveda, and becomes the primary meaning of the term in Classical Sanskrit. In the early chapters, the author, Mayasura or Mayan and he writes that a prana is a duration of 4 seconds. He then continues with a discussion of a number of units with progressively long durations made up of the shorter time units all composed of a number of pranas. Amongst those time units are something he calls nakshatra, for example,15 pranas are in a minute,900 pranas in an hour,21600 pranas in a day,583,200 pranas in a nakshatra. According to Mayan, a nakshatra is a unit with a duration of 27 days. This 27-day time cycle has been taken to mean a group of stars. The relationship to the stars really has to do with the periodicity with which the Moon travels over time, hence, the stars are more like numbers on a clock through which the hands of time pass. This concept was discovered by Dr. Jessie Mercay in her research on Surya Siddhanta, the classical list of 27 nakshatras is first found in the Vedanga Jyotisha, a text dated to the 600-700 BCE. The nakshatra system predates the Hellenistic astronomy which became prevalent from about the 2nd century CE, in Hindu astronomy, there was an older tradition of 28 Nakshatras which were used as celestial markers in the heavens
7.
Kerala
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Kerala historically known as Keralam, is an Indian state in South India on the Malabar Coast. It was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act by combining Malayalam-speaking regions, spread over 38,863 km2, it is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 Census, Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state. The region has been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE, the Chera Dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala, though it frequently struggled against attacks by the neighbouring Cholas and Pandyas. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, after independence, Travancore and Cochin joined the Republic of India and Travancore-Cochin was given the status of a state in 1949. In 1956, Kerala state was formed by merging Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin, Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity. The culture is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, developed over millennia, under influences from other parts of India, the production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, the states coastline extends for 595 kilometres, and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry which contributes 3% to the states income. The state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly English, Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions. The name Kerala has an uncertain etymology, One popular theory derives Kerala from Kera and alam is land, thus land of coconuts, this also happens to be a nickname for the state due to abundance of coconut trees and its use by the locals. The word Kerala is first recorded in a 3rd-century BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka, the inscription refers to the local ruler as Keralaputra, or son of Chera. This contradicts the theory that Kera is from coconut tree, at that time, one of three states in the region was called Cheralam in Classical Tamil, Chera and Kera are variants of the same word. The word Cheral refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala kings and is derived from the Proto-Tamil-Malayalam word for lake, the earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala is the Aitareya Aranyaka of the Rigveda. It is also mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Hindu epics, the Skanda Purana mentions the ecclesiastical office of the Thachudaya Kaimal who is referred to as Manikkam Keralar, synonymous with the deity of the Koodalmanikyam temple. Keralam may stem from the Classical Tamil cherive-alam or chera alam, the Greco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei refers to Keralaputra as Celobotra. According to Hindu mythology, the lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the warrior sage Parasurama. Parasurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached, according to legend, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation, so Parasurama invoked the Snake King Vasuki, out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land
8.
India
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India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, in the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a border with Thailand. The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE, in the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia. In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate, the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal empire, in the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance, in 2015, the Indian economy was the worlds seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, a nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks sixth in military expenditure among nations. India is a constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu, the latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as The people of the Indus, the geographical term Bharat, which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. Scholars believe it to be named after the Vedic tribe of Bharatas in the second millennium B. C. E and it is also traditionally associated with the rule of the legendary emperor Bharata. Gaṇarājya is the Sanskrit/Hindi term for republic dating back to the ancient times, hindustan is a Persian name for India dating back to the 3rd century B. C. E. It was introduced into India by the Mughals and widely used since then and its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety
9.
Vadakkunnathan Temple
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Vadakkunnathan Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva at city of Thrissur, of Kerala state in India. This temple is an example of the architectural style of Kerala and has monumental towers on all four sides. Mural paintings depicting episodes from Mahabharata can be seen inside the temple. The shrines and the Kuttambalam display vignettes carved in wood, the temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument by India under the AMASR Act. According to popular lore, this is the first temple built by Parasurama. Tekkinkadu Ground, encircling the Vadakkunnathan Temple, is the venue of the Thrissur Pooram. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter into the temple, in the year 2012 Archaeological Survey of India has recommended 14 sites, including Vadakkumnathan Temple and palaces, from Kerala to include in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The story of the origin of the Vadakkunnathan Temple is briefly narrated in Brahmanda Purana, though there are differences between these accounts on the details, all agree on the central fact, namely, that the temple was founded by Parashurama. Parashurama exterminated Kshatriyas twenty one times, in order to expiate the sin, he performed a yajna at the end of which he gave away all the land to Brahmins as dakshina. He wanted to retire to some new land to do tapasya, according to another version, some sages approached him at the end of the yajna and requested him to give them some secluded land. Parashurama then made the request to Varuna for their sake. Varuna gave him a winnow and asked him to hurl it into the sea, as he did a large territory of land was at once thrown up by the sea and it was then known by the name Surparaka, from the word, Surpa meaning winnow. According to some accounts, Varuna asked Parashurama to hurl his axe into the sea. Parashurama now wanted to consecrate this new land, so he went to Mount Kailash to his guru, the God Shiva and requested him to take abode in Kerala and thereby bless the region. Shiva accompanied by his wife Parvati, his sons Ganesha and Subrahmanya and his parashadas went along with Parashurama, to satisfy the desire of his disciple. Shiva stopped at a spot, now Thrissur, for his seat and later he and his party disappeared and Parashurama saw a bright and this place where Shiva first manifested his presence through the linga came to be called the Sri Mula Sthana. For sometime, the remained at Sri Mula Sthana at the foot of a huge banyan tree. The ruler of Cochin Kingdom then decided to shift the linga to a convenient place
10.
Pooram
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Harimattom pooram is the one of the famous pooram in Ernakulam. The most famous pooram in whole world is Thirumandhamkunnu Pooram which has a participation of 11 Lack people across the country. Most pooram festivals have at least one ornately decorated elephant being paraded in the procession out of the temple precincts. Vela is also a festival like pooram, thrissur Pooram is the most famous of all poorams. The second best known Pooram in Kerala is Uthralikavu Pooram. A melam is a performance of different kind of musical instruments that are unique to Kerala and is something akin to the jazz. The most traditional of all melams is called Pandi Melam which is performed outside the temple. Another kind of melam is called Panchari Melam, which is similar to Pandi Melam going by the kind of instruments, panchavadyam is another classical musical ensemble performed in Kerala. Here, five different kinds of instruments create a breathtaking and fastmoving percussion performance, the five instruments are Madhalam, Kombu, Edakka, Elathalam and Timila. Interesting attractions of Pooram can be seen in the Valluvanad and Talappilly region, there is the Harijan Vela or Parayar Vela as well as the Tholpavakoothu, a traditional shadow puppetry show. Harimattom Temple is situated near Tripunithura, the temple festival is started on malayalm month medam star UTTRAM. The main highlight of the festival is harimattom pooram which is on the 7th day of the festival, the main attraction of this pooram is kudamattam and famous pandimellam with the presents of most the famous 10 elephants from Kerala. The one of the most important things is the Harimattom pooram and festival is conducting as per keeping the Kerala tradition, beliefs and culture
11.
Sakthan Thampuran
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Rama Varma Kunhji Pillai Thampuran, or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin. He was the King of Cochin and his palace was in Thrissur City, City of Thrissur is the Cultural Capital of Kerala and Sakthan Thampuran is the very architect of City of Thrissur. Thrissur Pooram was also introduced by him, born on Karkidakom,926 at Vellarapally Palace to Anujan Namboodiripad of the Chennamangalam Mana and Ambika Thampuratti of the Cochin Royal Family. His mother died when he was three years old. The prince was brought up by his aunt, famously known as Chittamma Thampuratti. His early education took place under the tutelage of such as Kallenkara Pisharody. Sakthan Thampuran was a very powerful Maharaja as his name indicate and his first wife was a Nair lady from the reputed Vadakke Kuruppath family of Thrissur whom he married when he was 30 years old. He is said to have had a daughter from this first wife, however, this Nethyar Amma died soon after an unhappy marriage. Thereafter the Thampuran remained single for a few decades, marrying again at the age of 52, the second wife of the Thampuran was Chummukutty Nethyar Amma of the Karimpatta family and was a talented musician and dancer of Kaikottikalli. She was 17 at the time of her marriage with the Thampuran and this marriage was without issue and within 4 years the Thampuran died. In those days the widowed Nethyar Ammas did not have any special provisions from the state and hence Chummukutty, at the age of 21, after his 55th birthday Sakthan Thampuran fell ill and died in Kanni 11,980, at Thrissur City. He was buried in Shakthan Thampuran Palace, Thrissur and his palace in Thrissur City is preserved as a monument and he was responsible for developing the Thrissur City and also making it the Cultural Capital of Kerala. In 1762, ten taluks and two Edavagas were formed in Cochin Kingdom, but the feudal chieftains were enjoining the power as before. After Thampuran ascended the throne of Cochin, he crushed the power of the feudal chieftains and consolidated the royal power. At that time temples were controlled by Namboodiri community, called Yogiatiripppads, the Yogiatiripppads was elected from different temples in the Thrissur District. Thampuran wrested the control of the temples and banished the system of Yogiatiripppads, Thampuran was strict and merciless with criminals which earned his name, Sakthan. British authorities enjoyed a good relation with Thampuran and he was also a personal friend of Dharma Raja of Travancore. The modern day town of Thrissur owes its origin to Sakthan Thampuran, the reason for his love of the town arose from the fact that his two wives were both born here. They belonged to the Kuruppath and Karimpatta families of Thrissur, Sakthan Thampuran transferred his capital from Thrippunithura to Thrissur to found the modern city
12.
Kingdom of Cochin
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Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later princely state on the Malabar Coast, South India. Once controlling much of the territory between Ponnani and Thottappally, the Cochin kingdom shrank to its minimal extent as a result of invasions by the Zamorin of Calicut. When Portuguese armadas arrived in India, Cochin was in vassalage to Zamorin and was looking for an opportunity to break away, Cochin became a long-time Portuguese protectorate providing assistance against native overlords. After the Portuguese, the Dutch East India Company followed by the English East India Company, even today, the full official designation of the Raja of Cochin is “Perumpadappu Gangadhara Veera Kerala Thrikkovil Adhikarikal”. The Kingdom of Cochin, originally known as Perumpadappu Swarupam, was under the rule of the Later Cheras in the Middle Ages, after the fall of the Mahodayapuram Cheras in the 12th century, along with numerous other provinces Perumpadappu Swarupam became a free political entity. However, it was only after the arrival of Portuguese colonizers on the Malabar Coast did the Perumpadappu Swarupam acquire any political importance, Perumpadappu rulers had family relationships with the Nambudiri rulers of Edappally. After the transfer of Kochi and Vypin from Edappally rulers to the Perumpadappu rulers, ma Huan, the Muslim voyager and translator who accompanied Admiral Zheng He on three of his seven expeditions to the Western Oceans, describes the king of Cochin as being a Buddhist. There is no extant written evidence about the emergence of the Kingdom of Cochin or of the Cochin Royal Family, all that is recorded are folk tales and stories, and a somewhat blurred historical picture about the origins of the ruling dynasty. The surviving manuscripts, such as Keralolpathi, Keralamahatmyam, and Perumpadapu Grandavari, are collections of myths and legends that are less than reliable as conventional historical sources. There is a legend that the last Perumal who ruled the Chera dynasty divided his kingdom between his nephews and his sons, converted to Islam and traveled to Mecca on a hajj. The Keralolpathi recounts the narrative in the following fashion, The last. He left for Mecca by ship with some Muslims who arrived at Kodungallur port, before leaving for Mecca, he divided his kingdom between his nephews and sons. The Perumpadapu Grandavari contains an account of the dynastic origins. Cheraman Perumal divided the land in half,17 amsa north of Neelaeswaram and 17 amsa south, totaling 34 amsa, thirty-four kingdoms between Kanyakumari and Gokarna were given to the thampuran who was the daughter of the last niece of Cheraman Perumal. Keralolpathi recorded the division of his kingdom in 345 AD, Perumpadapu Grandavari in 385 AD, historians, including Robin Jeffry, Faucett and Samuel Mateer, are of the opinion that as with all other Kings of Malabar, the Cochin Raja was also of Nair origin. Cochin kingdom ruled over a vast area in central Kerala before the Portuguese arrival and their state stretched up to Ponnani and Pukkaitha in the north, Anamalais in the east, and Cochin and Porakkad in the south, with capital at Perumpadappu on the northern border. Later, Calicut conquered large parts of Perumpadappu Kingdom, and made them a tributary state, Cochin was the scene of the first European settlement in India. In the year 1500, the Portuguese Admiral Pedro Álvares Cabral landed at Cochin after being repelled from Calicut, the king of Cochin welcomed the Portuguese and a treaty of friendship was signed
13.
Arattupuzha Pooram
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Arattupuzha Pooram is a popular temple festival of India. The annual festival at Arattupuzha is also termed as the mother of all festivals in Kerala, due to its sheer magnitude. Visitors from nearby and far off places reach the village of Arattupuzha during the festival days, the pinnacle of excitement and devotion during the seven-day festival is the last two days. The evening prior to the last day of the festival would have an assembly of caparisoned elephants, the pancharimelam of Aarttupuzha Sasthavu is the largest assembly of percussion artists in any other night Poorams. It is held at the Arattupuzha Temple in Arattupuzha of Thrissur District, the Pooram is known as Devamela as it is a conglomeration of gods, given its massive attendance of deities from neighbourhood shrines. A total of 23 deities of various temples from different parts of Thrissur District attend the Pooram and is considered as the oldest temple festival in the Indian subcontinent
14.
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
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Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple is a Hindu temple in the city of Thrissur in Kerala, India. The temple is one of the two rival groups participating in the Thrissur Pooram, which is the biggest local festival in Kerala, bhagavad Gita chanting makes the temple alive. Every day the Devaswom gives free lunch to people, the dress code is a must with no modern dresses allowed. The straight road opposite the temple leads to Poonkunnam Railway station, behind it there is a temple for Ganesh. The name of the road in front is Shornur road, leading to Vadakunnatan temple on one side and Paturaikkal. Temples of Kerala Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple Thiruvambady in Kozhikode
15.
Kanimangalam Sastha Temple
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Kanimangalam Sastha Temple is Hindu temple situated in Kanimangalam, Thrissur City of Kerala. Lord Ayyappan is the deity of the temple. Kanimangalam Sastha is the participant of the famous Thrissur Pooram. Kanimangalam Sastha is the first Pooram entering the Vadakkunnathan Temple, Kanimangalam Sastha is the protector of all goddesses who take part in Thrissur Pooram
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Shiva
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Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme God within Shaivism, one of the three most influential denominations in contemporary Hinduism, Shiva is the transformer within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu. In Shaivism tradition, Shiva is the Supreme being who creates, protects, in the goddess tradition of Hinduism called Shaktism, the goddess is described as supreme, yet Shiva is revered along with Vishnu and Brahma. A goddess is stated to be the energy and creative power of each and he is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. At the highest level, Shiva is regarded as formless, limitless, transcendent and unchanging absolute Brahman, Shiva has many benevolent and fearsome depictions. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient Yogi who lives a life on Mount Kailash as well as a householder with wife Parvati. In his fierce aspects, he is depicted slaying demons. Shiva is also known as Adiyogi Shiva, regarded as the god of yoga, meditation. Shiva is usually worshipped in the form of Lingam. Shiva is a deity, revered widely by Hindus, in India, Nepal. The Sanskrit word Śiva means, states Monier Williams, auspicious, propitious, gracious, benign, kind, benevolent, the roots of Śiva in folk etymology is śī which means in whom all things lie, pervasiveness and va which means embodiment of grace. The word Shiva is used as an adjective in the Rig Veda, as an epithet for several Rigvedic deities, the term Shiva also connotes liberation, final emancipation and the auspicious one, this adjective sense of usage is addressed to many deities in Vedic layers of literature. The term evolved from the Vedic Rudra-Shiva to the noun Shiva in the Epics, Sharma presents another etymology with the Sanskrit root śarv-, which means to injure or to kill, interprets the name to connote one who can kill the forces of darkness. The Sanskrit word śaiva means relating to the god Shiva, and it is used as an adjective to characterize certain beliefs and practices, such as Shaivism. Some authors associate the name with the Tamil word śivappu meaning red, noting that Shiva is linked to the Sun, the Vishnu sahasranama interprets Shiva to have multiple meanings, The Pure One, and the One who is not affected by three Guṇas of Prakṛti. Shiva is known by names such Viswanathan, Mahadeva, Mahesha, Maheshvara, Shankara, Shambhu, Rudra, Hara, Trilochana, Devendra, Neelakanta, Subhankara, Trilokinatha. The highest reverence for Shiva in Shaivism is reflected in his epithets Mahādeva, Maheśvara, Sahasranama are medieval Indian texts that list a thousand names derived from aspects and epithets of a deity. There are at least eight different versions of the Shiva Sahasranama, the version appearing in Book 13 of the Mahabharata provides one such list
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Swaraj Round, Thrissur
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Swaraj Round is the biggest Roundabout in South Asia. It is one of the largest financial, commercial and business centers in Kerala, seventeen roads are joining to the Swaraj Round. Encircling the Thekkinkadu Maidan, Swaraj Round surrounds the small hillock on which the Vadakkunnathan Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is built and it is the largest circular road surrounding a ground in India. Swaraj Round is one of the biggest commercial centers and busiest shopping areas of Thrissur city which houses Malls, shopping centers, retail outlets of jewelers and it is also the prime location for shopping in Thrissur for gold and textiles. It is one of the central business district area of Thrissur City. There are two pedestrian subways in the Swaraj Round, one near Paramekkavu temple and other at M. O. The Swaraj Round is the venue of a grand Pulikali on the fourth Onam day, on this day Pulikali troupes from different parts of the district come here to perform
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Caparison
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A caparison is a cloth covering laid over a horse or other animal for protection and decoration. In modern times, they are used mainly in parades and for historical reenactments, the word is derived from the Latin caparo, meaning a cape. In the Middle Ages, caparisons were part of the horse known as barding. They were adopted in the century in response to conditions of campaigning in the Crusades. The covering might not completely protect the horse against the arrows but it could deflect, an early depiction of a knights horse wearing a caparison may be seen on the small Carlton-in-Lindrick knight figurine from the late 12th century. Modern re-enactment tests have shown that a loose caparison protects the horse reasonably well against arrows, medieval caparisons were frequently embroidered with the coat of arms of the horses rider. In the Indian state of Kerala, elephants are decorated during temple festivals and they wear a distinctive golden head covering called a nettipattam, which is often translated into English as an elephant caparison. However, it only the head, not the body. Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, james and John Knapton, et al
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Thekkinkadu Maidan
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Thekkinkadu Maidan is situated in the middle of Thrissur city of Kerala state in India. This hillock which seats the Vadakkumnathan Temple, is oval shaped open ground in the centre of the Thrissur city which is under the custody of the Cochin Devaswom Board and it hosts the spectacular cultural festival Thrissur Pooram, which is considered the Mother of all Poorams in Kerala. Thekkinkadu Maidan was a dense forest in olden days, all kinds of wild animals used to roam in the forest where wanted criminals of Thrissur were executed. The soldiers used to push the criminals to dense forest from one the Vadakkumnatha Temple gates, later, Maharaja of Cochin, Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran cleared the Thekkinkadu Maidan despite the resistance of Brahmin priests and other orthodox section of people. Till 1970, there were no teaks in the Maidan, in the 1970s Cochin Devaswom Board planted some teaks trees. Till 1928, the Thekkinkadu Maidan was with the Sanitary Board, in 1928 it was handed over to Thrissur Municipality when it was formed. In 1934, Diwan Paruvakad Narayanan Nair gave the Maidan to Cochin Devaswom Board, the only condition for the transfer was that any organisation can organise meeting or festival with out any problem. The Thekkinkadu Maidan is 65-acre in area and is encircled by Swaraj Round and it houses Vadakkunnathan Temple, Nehru Park, Thrissur, Kerala Water Authority office and water storage tanks and seven wells. The whole of the city branches from Thekkinkadu Maidan through nine roads, including most of the important roads like the M. G road and these roads further form junctions to make the spread of the city a circular one. The Maidan is full of players and chess players in the evening. Political debates also take place every day. Students Corner, Labour Corner and Nehru Mandapam are the spots where historical events had taken place. Famous people like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, E. M. S. Namboodiripad etc. had given speech in Students Corner, joseph Vadakkan, a political activist priest held the controversial Holy Mass in Maidan, which led to suspension from the church. In 1982, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, another Prime Minister of India also given his speech in Thekkinkadu Maidan, Jawaharlal Nehru Indira Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi Atal Bihari Vajpayee Narendra Modi Manmohan Singh Narendra Modi
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Pyrotechnics
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Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound. Its etymology stems from the Greek words pyro and tekhnikos, individuals responsible for the safe storage, handling, and functioning of pyrotechnic devices are referred to as pyrotechnicians. Proximate refers to the devices location relative to an audience. In the majority of jurisdictions, special training and licensing must be obtained from local authorities to legally prepare, many musical groups use pyrotechnics to enhance their live shows. Pink Floyd were without a doubt the innovators of pyrotechnic use in concerts, for instance, at the climax of their song Careful with That Axe, Eugene, a blast of smoke was set off at the back of the stage. Bands such as The Who, KISS and Queen, soon followed use of pyrotechnics in their shows, michael Jackson attempted using pyrotechnics in a 1984 Pepsi advertisement, where a stray spark caused a small fire in his hair. German industrial metal band Rammstein are renowned for their variety of pyrotechnics. Nightwish, Lordi and Green Day are also known for their vivid pyrotechnics in concert, many professional wrestlers have also used pyrotechnics as part of their entrances to the ring. Modern pyrotechnics are, in general, divided into categories based upon the type of effect produced or manufacturing method, the most common categories are, Airburst - Hanging charges designed to burst into spheres of sparks. Binary powders - Kits divided into separate oxidizer and fuel, intended to be mixed on site, comet - Brightly colored burning pellets resembling shooting stars. Mine - Tubes containing a lift charge intended to project stars, sparks, preloaded Smoke Pot - Cartridges designed to release a mushroom cloud of smoke. Concussion - Device designed to create a loud report, falls - Propellant with titanium burning in an open ended tube creating a falling spark effect. Fireballs / Mortar Hits - Short barreled device projecting smoky rolling ball of flame, flame Projector - Tube containing nitrocellulose granules that burn in pillars of colored flame. Flare - Short, high intensity flames or various colours, flash Cotton - Nitrated cotton string. Flashpaper - Sheets of nitrated paper resembling tissue paper, flash Pot - Short metal pot used with binary powders creating flash, smoke or sparks. Flash Tray - A long tube slit down one side to project a sheet of flash, gerb - A fountain of sparks. Lance - A Small colored flare tube used in making points of light lancework or pictures in fire, line Rockets - Whistling or colored rocket devices that travel along guide cables. Multi-Tube Article - Multiple effects chained together, pre-Mixed Powder - Powders intended to create various effects
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Peechi Dam
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Peechi Dam is situated 22 km outside Thrissur city in Kerala, India. The dam was started as a project for the surrounding villages in Thrissur. At the same time, it catered the drinking water needs of the population of Thrissur City and it serves as an irrigation dam, reaching out to the paddy fields in and around Thrissur city. Built across the Manali River, the dam is a vast catchment area of nearly 3,200 acres with extensive botanical gardens, one can see tuskers on the bank of Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1958 covering 125 square kilometres. E. Ikkanda Warrier, the first Prime Minister of the independent state of Kochi. Majority of the Thrissurian opposed the dam cutting across the partyline and he brought a retired Chief Engineer from Andhra Pradesh to build the dam as engineers from Kerala opposed the project. The dam was completed in 1959, burgula Ramakrishna Rao, first Kerala Governor on October 4,1957 inaugurated the dam. By Road, Peechi Dam is well connected to Thrissur city and it is at a distance of 15 km from Thrissur city and have regular Kerala transport and private buses. By Rail, The nearest railway station to Peechi Dam is the Thrissur Railway Station, by Air, The nearest airport to Peechi Dam is the Kochi International Airport which is at a distance of only 68 km. Accommodation facilities can be availed at the rest house and the information centre, hotels are available in Thrissur City. One of the oldest dams in Kerala Type of Dam, Concrete Straight Gravity List of dams and reservoirs in India Contractor, Mr N O Inasu, Nadakkavukaran
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Peringalkuthu Dam
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Peringalkuthu Dam is a concrete dam built across the Chalakkudi River in Thrissur district, Kerala state of India. It also contains Peringalkuthu Hydro Electric Power Project of Kerala State Electricity Board who owns the dam and this is the first hydro electric power project to build on the Chalakkudi River. The dam is situated in deep forest and special permission is needed to visit the dam, list of reservoirs and dams in India
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Poomala Dam
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Poomala Dam is an irrigation purpose dam and a tourist spot situated in Mulankunnathukavu Panchayath under Puzhakkal block in Thrissur, Kerala State of India. In 1939 a division weir was constructed in the Poomala Valley, the dam is managed by the Kerala Minor Irrigation Department and is constructed with mud and stone. Poomala Dam was officially designated as a tourist centre by the Home Minister of State, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the dam is situated 94.50 meters above mean sea level. To its north lies another dam, Pathazhakundu, which presently is oriented only for irrigation, other facilities in include boating in the reservoir, horse ride, a walkway of 600 metres, a community hall that can accommodate 300 persons, a cafeteria and latrine facilities. List of reservoirs and dams in India
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Solaiyar Dam
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Upper Solaiyar or Upper Sholayar Dam is situated 20 km from Valparai, a hill station in the Anaimalai Hills of the Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu India. A part of the project of Tamil Nadu, special permission is required to visit the dam. Valparai is located 64 km from Pollachi and 55 km from Chalakudy, the nearest railway station is Chalakkudy. The Solaiyar dam is a reservoir under the Parambikulam Aliyar Project and has a water storage capacity of 160 ft. The reservoirs overflowing waters are let into the Parambikulam Reservoir through the saddle dam and it is constructed by a team who was working under K Palanisamy, the most popular engineer in that area. Sholayar Dam is built in ss, Sholayar Flanking in 1964, the reservoir has an area of 8.705 square km and the length of the dam is 430.60 metres. The Sholayar Dam has a height of 66 metres and 430 metres width, Sholayar Flanking has a height of 28 metres and 19 metres width, list of dams and reservoirs in India Aliyar Reservoir
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Athirappilly Falls
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Located on the west-flowing Chalakudy River near the Vazhachal Forest Division and the Sholayar ranges, this 24-metre waterfall and the nearby Vazhachal Falls are popular tourist destinations. There is another waterfall on the way from Athirappilly to Vazhachal Falls, Athirappilly Falls is the largest waterfall in Kerala and is nicknamed The Niagara of India. Controversy about a state-proposed hydroelectric dam on the Chalakudy River above the waterfalls began in the 1990s and has continued through 2011, the 145 kilometres long Chalakudy River, originates in the Anamudi mountains of the Western Ghats and flows through the Vazhachal Forest toward the Arabian Sea. The river initially runs smoothly but becomes turbulent as it nears Athirappilly. At Athirappilly Falls, the water surges around big rocks and cascades down in three separate plumes, below the falls, the river remains turbulent for about 1 kilometre until it reaches Kannamkuzhi. Then it calms and flows smoothly until reaching the dam at Thumburmuzhi, Forest wildlife in the area includes the Asiatic elephant, tiger, leopard, bison, sambar, and lion-tailed macaque. If the proposed 163-MW Athirappilly hydroelectric project is built, these birds may vanish from these forests because it will submerge the hornbills habitat. Plantations in the area contain teak, bamboo, and eucalyptus, environmentalists claim that Athirappilly is a one-of its-kind riparian ecosystem in Kerala. The Wildlife Trust of India says it represents one of Indias best elephant conservation efforts, “Any disruption to this fragile ecosystem will spell disaster, ” says Vijayan. The river provides habitat for 85 species of fresh water fishes, among these,35 are endemic species. This place is the best place to find most animals in the wild, Athirappilly is easily reachable from Chalakudy by taxi or by bus from the Chalakudy private bus terminal. Athirappilly is situated on the highways connecting Tamil Nadu and Kerala, amidst thick forest, the journey from Chalakudy to the Athirappilly Falls passes through a landscape of winding roads, small villages and lush green trees. Visitors can reach the top of the waterfall via a path that leads through thick bamboo clusters. A steep narrow path leads to the bottom of the falls. The falls attract visitors from across India, especially during the monsoon months, about 7 million tourists visit the falls and the Vazhachal picnic spot each year. Daily Jungle Safari trips are organized by Thrissur District Tourism Promotion Council with Athirappilly Destination Management Council from Chalakudy to Malakkappara and it is the most attractive wildlife watch and Ecotourism Jungle safari through the evergreen forest of Sholayar ranges of Western Ghats - Kerala. It is also the most beautiful Jungle Saffari watching Wildlife in the entire Kerala and is about 90 km across the forests of Sholayar ranges. This Jungle safari is an experience, which one can have on his Kerala visit
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Charpa Falls
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Charpa Falls is a waterfall located in Athirappilly panchayath in Thrissur district of Kerala. Located on the west-flowing Chalakudy River, this lies in between the more famous Athirappilly Falls and Vazhachal Falls. It is a stopover for tourists who are visiting the Athirappilly. It is located close to the road, and during monsoon months, during the dry season, the water stops flowing. Athirappilly Falls Vazhachal Falls Chalakudy List of waterfalls in India List of waterfalls in India by height
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Chavakkad Beach
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Chavakkad Beach is beach in Chavakkad Municipality of Thrissur District in Kerala State. It lies on the coast of Arabian Sea and attracts domestic tourists, the beach is situated 5 Kilometers from Guruvayoor Temple Sri Krishna Temple. In this beach, the river meets the sea known as estuary, the meeting point is known as Azhimokam in Malayalam. It is counted amongst Kerala’s most popular beaches because the beach is unexplored by domestic tourists, national Highway 17 passes through Chavakkad town which comes from Kochi in the south and goes to Mangalore through Malabar to the north. Auto rickshaw also ply in Chavakkad town, guruvayur Railway Station is the nearest station to Chavakkad Beach. The line comes from Thrissur Railway Station and terminates at Guruvayoor, there are two passenger trains to Ernakulum Railway Station and one passenger train to Thrissur Railway Station. One express goes to Chennai also, for long distance trains, Thrissur Railway Station is the major rail head from where you can get all South Indian and North Indian trains. Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport to Chavakkad Beach which is 80 Kilometres away, domestic and international flights are available from here. Calicut International Airport is around 104 Kilometres away from Chavakkad Beach, Chavakkad Sunith Kristine Sugunan Kalathil engaged July 29,2010 Lord Shiva Lord Krishna Mandir Temple Dubai UAE Manathala Chavakkad Thrissur Kerala India 680506
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Munakkal Beach
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Munakkal Beach is a beach in Azhikode, Thrissur of Thrissur District in Kerala State. It is the largest beach in Thrissur District and lies on the coast of Arabian Sea, the beach is situated 7 kilometers from Kodungallur town. The beach was developed under the rehabilitation programme by Harbour Engineering Department. A 400-metre open-air auditorium,1300 metre walkway, toilets, food courts, skateboarding grip for children, a casuarina forest set up by the Kerala Forest Department is another added attraction
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Snehatheeram Beach
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Snehatheeram Beach or Love Shore is beach in Thalikulam of Thrissur District in Kerala State of India. It lies on the coast of Arabian Sea and attracts tourists in every season. The beach was selected as the best beach tourism destination by the Department of Tourism during the year 2010, the beach is maintained by the Department of Tourism. There is childrens park located near to the beach with all facilities, the entry fee for park is Rs 10 for adult and Rs 5 for children. An aquarium with large collection of species, a well maintained garden. A restaurant named Naalukettu is also available for tourists for enjoying coastal Thrissur sea food
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Cranganore Fort
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Cranganore Fort, otherwise known as Kodungallur Fort, or Kottapuram Fort, is situated in Kodungallur of Thrissur District in Kerala, India. The stone fort was built by the Portuguese in 1523, and was called Fortaleza da Sao Tome in colonial Portuguese India, dutch India took possession of it in 1661, and later it came under the control of Tipu Sultan. Dutch India wrested it back from Tipu Sultan, but the fort came under the control of Tipu. Ruins The remains of the show that the original fort wall was 18 feet in thickness. The ruin is known as Tipu’s fort. The fort is about 2 km from the town of Kodungallur, mysore invasion of Kerala Portuguese forts in India
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William Fort
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William Fort or locally known as Chettuva Fort is located in Chettuva, Thrissur District of Kerala, India. The fort was constructed by the Dutch East India Company with the permission from Kingdom of Cochin in 1714, Fort was later occupied by Zamorin of Calicut and thereafter Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan defeated Zamorin of Calicut and renamed it as Tipu Sultan Fort, the fort was captured and recaptured many times by British Empire, Dutch East India Company, Kingdom of Mysore, Zamorin of Calicut and Kingdom of Cochin. Lastly, the fort was captured by Tipu Sultan and demolishes it partially, the fort is now dilapidated and conservation drive was started in 2010 by the State Archeological Department
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Punnathurkotta
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Punnathurkotta is a fort and former palace located in Kottapadi, about 2 km from the Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple, in Thrissur District of Kerala State in South India. Punnathurkotta was once the palace of a ruler, but the palace grounds are now used to house the elephants belonging to the Guruvayoor temple. There were 86 elephants housed there, but currently there are about 59 elephants, the elephants are ritual offerings made by the devotees of Lord Guruvayurappa. This facility is used to train the elephants to serve Lord Krishna as well as to participate in many festivals that occur throughout the year. The oldest elephant is around 82 years of age and is called Ramachandran, the rituals of Gajapooja and Anayoottu are observed here, as an offering to Lord Ganesha. The legendary elephant Guruvayur Keshavan was housed here, the compound also has a naalu kettu, a traditional rectangular home with a central courtyard, which belonged to the Punnathur Raja. It is poorly maintained and presently houses a school for Papans. This complex also contains a dedicated to Lord Shiva and Bhagavathy. Some scenes in the famous Malayalam movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha were filmed at this location, the visiting hours are 8.00 AM to 6.00 PM. The entry fee is Rs 10 per adult, an extra Rs 25 is charged for to use a camera inside the complex. The Elephant Camp is located in Punnathur Kotta, at a distance of 3 km from the Guruvayur Temple and this Elephant Camp houses 58 elephants in 11.5 acres of land and is famous for housing the largest numbers of elephants in the smallest acreage of land. A serious violation of all the rules and laws are the shelters provided - this facility has 8 sheds for the 50 odd elephants housed here, thus most of them are exposed completely to the elements all year round, standing in their own faeces, urine and food waste. The other glaring violation is the lack of running water in the facility, with just 3 algae filled tanks, the fascinating feature is that all the elephants are offerings that are made by the devotees, to the temple, ignoring the fact that these animals are sentient beings. The camp also acts as a school for the elephants. All the bull elephants here are trained to participate in major processions and this camp is visited by several tourists every year. There are many instances of elephants running amok, getting beaten by the mahouts, suffering grievous injuries and becoming handicapped at this facility. All the elephants, barring a few, earn a revenue for the temple since they are hired out. The Commission submitted its report in September 2014
