Though synonymous with the colorful Pooram festival, this place has much more to offer. Housing the prestigious Kerala Sangeeta-Natak, Sahitya and LalitKala academies and the neighboring Kalamandalam, Trissur is a hub for performing arts and hosts arts and Literary festivals throughout the year. The Trissur Pooram festival is a week-long celebration that takes place every year around April or May. It involves lots of fanfares that has hour-long fireworks and parade of 30 caparisoned Elephants. Cheruturuthy is a small town and more rustic as compared to the modern day Thrissur (within an hour’s drive).This is the seat of Kerala Kalamandalam, renowned the world over for its Kathakali training centre. Over the years this unique institution has imparted training in Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kootiyattam, Panchavadyam, Thullal etc.