Thekkinkadu Maidan

Coordinates: 10°31′30″N 76°12′52″E / 10.5248753°N 76.2143645°E

Thekkinkadu Maidan
Location	Thrissur city, Kerala
Area	65 acres
Created	Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran
Operated by	Cochin Devaswom Board
Open	All year

Thekkinkadu Maidan (Malayalam: തേക്കിൻകാട് മൈതാനം) 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 (CDB).^[1] It hosts the spectacular cultural festival Thrissur Pooram, which is considered the Mother of all Poorams in Kerala.

History

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.^[2] 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.^[3]

Structure

The Thekkinkadu Maidan is 65-acre (260,000 m²) in area and is encircled by Swaraj Round, Thrissur to all sides. 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 the M.O road. These roads further form junctions to make the spread of the city a circular one.

Activities

The Maidan is full of card players and chess players in the evening. Political debates also take place here every day. Students Corner, Labour Corner and Nehru Mandapam are the famous 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.^[4]Nehru Mandapam was named after India's first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru when he visited Thrissur city in 1952, and made a speech in Thekkinkadu Maidan. In 1982, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, another Prime Minister of India also given his speech in Thekkinkadu Maidan.^[5]

Prime Minister of India who visited Thekkinkadu Maidan

• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Indira Gandhi
• Rajiv Gandhi
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee
• Narendra Modi
• Manmohan Singh^[6]

A view of Municipal Office Road in Thrissur city from Vadakkunnathan Temple

A view of Vadakkunnathan Temple from Municipal Office Road in Thrissur city

References

1. "Rs. 6 crore for beautification of Thekkinkadu maidan". Chennai, India: Thrissur. 2005-03-19. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
2. "Thekkinkadu Maidan". Manoramaonline.com. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
3. "Thekkinkadu Maidan and speeches". Mathrubhumi.com. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
4. "First Fr. Vadakkan Award presented". The Hindu. Retrieved 201-06-19. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
5. "Thekkinkadu Maidan and speeches". Mathrubhumi.com. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
6. "Thekkinkadu Maidan and speeches". Mathrubhumi.com. Retrieved 2014-03-14.

External links