Celebrating Thrissur Pooram

Considered to be the mother of all poorams in Kerala, ‘Thrissur Pooram’ was celebrated with all its traditional glory on Friday. A sea of people gathered to witness the spectacle amid tight security.

Celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medam, it is said to be a huge assembly of gods and goddess in and around Thrissur.

While the hoisting of ceremonial flag marks the beginning of the pooram, the annual festival at the Sree Vadakkaunnathan temple included parade and face-to-face meeting of 30 richly caparisoned elephants — 15 each from the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady temples — besides ‘kudamattam’.

The change of colourful ornamental silk parasols in quick succession by people mounted atop the elephants, attracted foreigners at the Thekkinkadu ground.

The festival is identified by the sounds of panchavadyam (ensemble of five different musical instruments) and pandimelam, the music ensembles in front of elephants and the display of nettipattams, the golden caparisons, venchamaram, the ornamental fan made of peacock feathers, and muthukkuda, the decorative umbrellas enthralled the audience.

Oscar winner, sound recordist Rasool Pookutty was also present at the grounds to capture the sounds of the grand spectacle for the visually challenged. More than 10 sound crew members were in the area to record the sounds, he said.

“This is a huge experience — the sound and energy of the festival. The effort is to make a treat for the visually challenged,” he added.

One also witnessed the mesmerizing performance of a traditional art form like ‘Puli Kali’.

‘Thrissur Pooram’ had its origin in 1798, through a royal edict of the then Raja Rama Varma, popularly known as Shakthan Thampuran, a powerful ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Cochin.

The edict entrusted two local temples — Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady — as the main sponsors of the festivities to be conducted in a competitive spirit.

Besides the main poorams of the two temples, small poorams from nearby temples converged at the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Vadakkunnathan temple.

The pooram will come to an end in the wee hours on Saturday with a fireworks, marking the grand finale of the festivities.

Besides, Parmekavu and Thiruvambady, Kanimangalam, Laloor, Ayyanthole, Nethilakkavu, Karamukku, Chembukavu, Choorakottukavu and Panamukkamppilly are the other participating temples.

(With agency inputs)