At a distance of 1 Km from Thrissur Railway Station, Vadakkumnathan Temple (also known as Thenkailasam or Vrishabhachalam) is one of the largest and ancient Lord Shiva temples in Kerala. This temple is the venue for world famous Thrissur Pooram festival celebrated annually in April / May.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is one of the oldest temples in South India. It is believed that this temple was founded by Parasurama. It is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture with beautiful murals depicting the scenes from Mahabharata and wonderful wood carvings. The idol of Shiva is covered by ghee offered as daily abhishekam. The temple is surrounded by a massive stone wall enclosing the wonderful temple complex. There are four gopurams each facing north, south, east and west. Shankaranarayana and Rama are also worshipped along with the main deity,

Only Hindus are allowed into this temple (all are allowed during Pooram festival). 

Timings: 4 -10.30 AM & 5 - 8.30 PM