Thekkinkadu Maidan

Coordinates: 10°31′29.95″N 76°12′52.38″E / 10.5249861°N 76.2145500°E / 10.5249861; 76.2145500

View of M.O.Road from as seen from Thekkinkaadu Maidanam.

View of Vadakkumnatha Temple as seen from Swaraj Round.

Thekkinkadu Maidan (Malayalam: തേക്കിങ്കാട് മൈദാന്‍) is situated in the middle of Thrissur city of Kerala state in India. This 65-acre (260,000 m²) 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 (CDB).^[1] It hosts the spectacular cultural festival Thrissur Pooram, which is considered the 'Mother of all Poorams in Kerala.'

History

Maharaja of Cochin, Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran constructed the Thekkinkadu Maidan at the heart of Thrissur City after clearing the forest around the Vadakkumnatha Temple despite the resistance of Brahmin priests and other orthodox section of people.^[2] The whole of the city branches from Thekkinkadu Maidan through nine roads, including most of the important roads like the M.G road and the M.O road. These roads further form junctions to make the spread of the city a circular one. Encircling the Thekkinkadu Maidan, Swaraj Round surrounds the small hillock on which the Vadakkunnathan Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is built. The hillock also includes a Nehru Park, Thrissur, forming a major hangout place for the city's youth.

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  Kuda Mattam during Thrissur pooram festival.

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  Vadakkunathan Temple.

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  Renovation work going on in front of Vatakumnathan Temple.

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  Environmental fair 2007 inside the Swaraj Round.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thekkinkadu Maidan.

• Satellite image of Thrissur Round
• Satellite image of the Temples participating in Thrissur Pooram Festival

References