A Festival Like No Other

Thrissur Pooram

Thrissur is the district in Kerala. Pooram is Malayalam for the celestial star in the Hindu almanac. Thrissur Pooram is therefore an auspicious time for the religious festival centred around Vadakummanathan Temple, set on a hillock overlooking the city centre which covers 9 acres

Vadakummanathan Temple

Vadakummanathan is the shrine dedicated to Shiva, the destroyer in the Hindu Trinity, the others being Brahma, the Creator and Vishnu, the Preserver.

The other two shrines in the Temple are dedicated to Shankarnarayana and Rama

Thrissur Pooram Festival

It was begun about 200 years ago by the then Kochi king Raja Rama Varma. In keeping with his legendary name Sakthan Tampuran which means one who holds firm the reins in his hands, the king at one stroke broke the stranglehold of the traditional priest community, the Namboodiri on temple rituals. How did he pull it off? He did it by throwing open the Vadakummanathan temple to all people regardless of their caste which created a tremendous groundswell of public support. Then he invited all the 10 temples in the area to join in thus ensuring strength in unity and ensuring that the rest of the neighbourhood did not feel slighted. Then to get the common folks to feel a part of the event, he divided the 10 temples into 5 each of the West and East. To distinguish this Pooram from the traditional long winded rituals spread over many days, the king himself drew up the frenzied pace of the festival. It unfolds over 36 hours in a dawn to dawn ritual.

The Spectacle

The 10 temples send their deities on beautifully caparisoned elephants to pay obeisance to Shiva, the reigning deity of Vadakummanathan. Each group attempts to outdo the other in decorating their 15 elephants with beautiful parasols (umbrellas). 

The Surround Sound

The elephants sway along to the music of Panchvadyam (5 percussion and wind instruments). This has 200 artistes creating music from Thimila and Idakka (hour glass shaped drums), cymbals, drums like the Maddalam and trumpets. Chenda Melan and Pandimelam musical ensembles also add to the beat. The former is a drum ensemble preceding like an announcement the main Pandimelan. The Pandimelan comprises almost 200 musicians playing drums, trumpets, pipes and cymbals. There’s a drum concert as well - the Elanjithara Melan.

The Grand Finale

And it all ends in a fantastic display of fireworks, each group trying to show the most spectacular and colourful firecrackers over 3 hours beginning at 2:30 am to 3 am at dawn and continuing till 6 am.

Be There

Tentative Date – May 1^{st to}  2^nd , 2012

Venue

Vadakummanathan Temple

Near Thekkinkadu Maidan (Ground)

Thrissur

Call – 0487 - 2426040

Get There

Kochi is the nearest city – 79 km

Take a flight or train