Poorathil Pooram, Thrissur Pooram....

Thrissur Pooram is called 'the pooram of all poorams' (festival). It is the biggest of all poorams held in Kerala state. The Thrissur pooram, is celebrated every year on Pooram Nakshatram (star) in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar.

On the pooram day, fifty (50) or more elephants pass through the very center of Thrissur town, the Vadakkunnathan temple. The main features of the pooram (festival) are these decorated elephants with their nettipattam (decorative golden headdress), beautifuliy crafted kolam, decorative bells and ornaments etc. Add to this is the panchavadyam, the rhythmic beating of the drum, and what would be a cacophony otherwise is turned into an organized but spontaneous symphony. The fireworks display in the early hours of the next day, rival shows held anywhere in the world, without even using many of the modern and newer pyrotechnics. So also is the Kodamattam (The change of Umbrellas); where in colourful umbrellas are displayed and changed.

The temple elephants are decorated with gold plated caparisons (nettipattom), bells, and necklaces. People mounted on the elephants hold tinselled silk parasols (muthukuda) up high, swaying white tufts (venchamaram) and peacock feather fans (aalavattom) to the rhythm of the orchestra. People looking after the elephants are called mahout (Pappan).

Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple and Thiruvambadi Sree krishna Tempal are the two rival groups participating in Thrissur Pooram.

The Thrissur pooram is only about 200 or more years old. It was orchestrated by the then ruler of Cochin, Sakthan Thampuran or Raja Rama Varma, in 1798.

The whole place is very crowded, with lots of drum beats, crackers, that not all will love this occassion.

Pictures speak for themselves...Photography skill...of an engineer....with an alt...tal..my BIL....