Since
the word pooram literally means a group or a meeting, it was believed
that every year the dynastic Gods and Goddesses of neighboring
provinces meet together for the day of celebrations.
Trichur Pooram, the Pooram of all Poorams, the most spectacular festival
of this cultural capital celebrated at Vadakkumnathan Temple every
year during April-May. Though non-Hindus are not allowed inside the
temple, Kerala’s grandest temple pageantry, which includes colourful
processions of caparisoned elephants and a midnight fireworks display,
parasol exchanges, drum concerts can be witnessed from the crowded
streets of Trichur.
Trichur Pooram, the mother of all temple festivals in the state, is
essentially one of spectacles. The two devaswams- Thiruvampadi and
Paramekkavu, explore and exploit every source at their command to make
this annual festival a memorable one. It is celebrated with a colourful
procession of caparisoned elephants, parasol exchanges, drum concerts,
display of pyro-techniques and refreshing scenes of public participation.
During the festival season, Trichur, popularly known as the temple
town turns
into a town of colour, music and mirth. The Pooram programmes
extending about 36 hours begins with the ezhunellippu of the Kanimangalam
Shasta in the morning followed by the ezhunnellippu of the other six
minor temples on the Pooram Day. The ezhunnellippu programme which
is considered to be a ritual symbolising the visit of the Devi from
the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi temples to the Vadakkunnathan temple.
A major event of the Pooram festival is the Panchavadyam, in which
about 200 artistes from the disciplines of Thimila, Maddalam, Trumpet,
Cymbal
and Edakka participate. Another major event of the pooram begins with
the setting off the ‘Pandemelam’ at noon in which about
200 artistes in the disciplines of drum, trumpets, pipe and cymbal
participate. The grand finale of this festival of colour, music and
fire works would be marked with a function of bidding farewell to the
deities of the Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswams in front of the
Western Gate of the Vadakkunnathan Temple.
A
noteworthy feature of the pooram festival is the participation of
a cross section of people and elephants.
The pachyderms emerge out
in all their regalia with newly fabricated caparisons. They make their
way through the milling crowds drawn from all religions, castes and
creed to the accompaniment of ecstatic percussion ensembles. The exhibition
of the paraphernalia of elephant decorative, commonly known as ‘Aana
Chamayal pradarsanam’, the spectacular show of ‘Kudamattom’ in
which parasols of myriad numbers, designs and colours are exchanged
by the people atop the elephants.
The Pooram festival is concluded with a spectacular fire works display,
which is held in the wee hours of the day after the Pooram. The Thiruvambadi
and Paramekkavu Devaswams present many innovative patterns and varieties
of fire works which makes spectators going into raptures. This famous
and mighty display of the magnificent display of fireworks add to the
popularity of the Pooram festival.
The
most striking feature of the Trichur Pooram is its very secular nature.
The Muslim and Christian Communities actively take part in
it and they play a very prominent role in the every conduct of the
festival. Most of the pandals are the craft work of the experts from
the Muslim
community.
