Headlines
Curtains go up for Kerala's iconic festival 'Thrissur Pooram'
Thrissur, April 23
The traditional flag post
that was raised on Thursday morning signalled the official beginning of
the colourful festival Thrissur Pooram -- billed as the 'mother of all
festivals' in Kerala.
Thrissur Pooram is a popular temple
festival of Kerala held at Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur town every
year on Pooram Day of the Malayalam calendar month of 'Medam' (April).
The
history of Pooram dates to the late eighteenth century when it was
started by Sakthan Thampuran, the maharaja of the erstwhile Kochi state.
Sakthan
Thampuran unified the 10 temples situated around Vadakunnathan temple
and organised the celebration of Thrissur Pooram as a mass festival.
The
participating temples are Vadakkunnathan temple, where the Pooram is
held, while the other two temples are Sri Krishna Temple at Thiruvambadi
and the Devi temple at Paramekkavu.
Incidentally,even though the
festival begins on Thursday, the most awaited event would be held
coming Wednesday when a parade of more than 50 caparisoned elephants
takes place. It is referred to as 'Kudamattam' (a colourful display of
umbrellas which are changed in rapid succession atop the elephants).
Besides, fireworks display is a major highlight that begins on Wednesday
night and continues until the early hours of Thursday.
Another
feature of the Thrissur Pooram is its secular nature that involves
active participation of Muslim and Christian communities. Meanwhile,
strict guidelines regarding proper care of elephants during the festival
have also been announced.