The
‘Pooram Nakshatram’ day in ‘Medam’ – Malayalam month, which coincides with months
of April and May, is the most auspicious day and the most awaited day in
Thrissur (also known as Trichur) as Thrissur witnesses the biggest Hindu
festival of Kerala which lasts for almost 48 hours nonstop – the event commencing
at 7am on the 1st day.
The whole city of Thrissur is decorated with
flowers and blinking serial lights from the day before the ‘Thrissur Pooram’
and everyone seems to be gearing up for the festival as they are involved
directly or indirectly in the celebrations. The ‘Thrissur Pooram Paraphernalia’
comprising the gold ornaments of the Elephants is displayed for public CMS
School Compound. This is the closest you get to these ornaments to appreciate
them as it is hardly possible on the Pooram day.
Temples
in Thrissur are to be specially visited on these 2 days of the festivals as they
are decked up like never before. They make an amazing sight.
But
the highpoints of the ‘Thrissur Pooram’ – who are called the show-stoppers who
steal the limelight and for whom the whole city of Thrissur along with people
from other parts of Kerala and India as well as some foreigners and of course countless
media persons assemble along their walkway are the regal Elephants! About 100
Elephants are decked up in gold ornaments and paraded through the city of
Thrissur royally to the incessant and rhythmic drumming and fireworks. Countless
percussion instruments follow the Elephants throughout the parade. 300 music
performers perform the ‘Melam’ for 2 continuous hours during the day which will
just transport you to a different world.
This
Elephant parade is like no other in the whole world and this is the closest you
could get to so many Elephants all at once. The mere sight of them bunched
together – posing for a million clicking cameras from all directions will give
you goosebumps as you get all stirred up emotionally.
On
Thrissur Pooram, Thrissur city does not sleep. All Elephants are made to walk a
set route in the city which ends up at the Vadakkunnathan Temple – an ancient
temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Thrissur
Pooram festival has been celebrated since 1798 and was started by Raja Rama
Varma – also known as Sakthan Thampuran – the ruler of Cochin. With the launch
of the Thrissur Pooram festival and a host of other Hindu festivals here,
Thrissur became the culture-capital of Kerala. It was Maharaja Sakthan
Thampuran who unified a dozen temples which were situated around the Vadakkunnathan
Temple and organized a joint celebration of all these temples which became a
mass festival and involved the whole city and ten other towns.
On
the night of the first day of the Thrissur Pooram, the city of Thrissur dazzles
with millions of multi-coloured lights which run over all the streets of the
city and the skyscape will have no space to breathe with scores of fireworks
lighting up the skies. No wonder then that of all the festivals in south India,
Thrissur Pooram is known to be the most thunderous and the most spectacular festival
ever with several lakhs attending.
