Thrissur Pooram Festival

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The Thrissur Pooram: is one of the most spectacular festivals in the world. In terms of visual splendor, the grand assembly of caparisoned elephants, amazing pyrotechnic displays, spellbinding ensembles of percussion instruments and enthusiastic crowds, there is no match for it. One can’t find a festive gathering and celebration on such a scale anywhere else. It is not a mere temple festival in its strict sense but at the same time it is the festival of festivals of Kerala.

It has been celebrated every year in Medam ( April/May) month, as per malayalam calendar, at Vadakkumnathan temple, situated on famous thekkinkadu maidhanam, a hillock right in the centre of city

It is a 36 hours continuous pooram attracting a huge mass of people from different places including international tourists. The two dewasoms – Thiruvampadi and Paramekkavu are the two temples are the major temples to make the festival a remarkable one.

Thrissur Pooram was the brain child of Raja Rama Varma or famously known as Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Cochin (1790–1805). Before the start of Thrissur Pooram, the largest temple festival in Kerala was the one-day festival held at Aarattupuzha knows as Arattupuzha Pooram. Temples in and around City of Thrissur were regular participants. One day because of incessant rains they were late for the Arattupuzha Pooram and were denied access to the Pooram procession. Felt embarrassed by the denial, the temples went to the Sakthan Thampuran and told their story.

So in 1798, he unified the 10 temples situated around Vadakkunnathan Temple and organised the celebration of Thrissur Pooram as a mass festival. He invited temples with their deities to City of Thrissur to pay obeisance to pay obeisance to the Loard Shiva, the presiding deity of the Vadakkunnathan Temple. Sakthan Thampuran ordained these temples into two groups, Western group and Eastern group. The Western group as Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple consisting of Kanimangalam, Laloor, Ayyanthole and Nethilakkavu as the main one.

The Eastern group called as Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple, consisting in addition to Paramekkavu temple, Karamukku, Chembukavu, Choorakottukavu and Panamukkamppilly. The Pooram was to be centered around the Vadakkunnathan Temple, with all these temples sending their Poorams (the whole procession)

One of the major event in Thrissur pooram is “Madathil varavu”- is a panchavadhyam melam, participating more than 200 artists, consists of Thimila, Madhalam, Trumpet, Cymbal and Edakka (Different types of instruments). At 2’ O clock, inside the vadakkumnathan temple starts the famous Ilanjithara melam – a type of melam consists of drum, trumpets, pipe and cymbal

At the end of the pooram, after the Ilanjithara melam, both Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi groups enter the temple through the western gate and come out through the southern gate and array themselves, face to face in distant places. The two groups in the presence of melam, exchange colourful and crafted umbrellas competitively at the top of the elephants – called Kudamattom, which is eye catching attraction of the pooram.

The pooram concluded with a spectacular fire works display, which is held in next day early morning after the pooram. The two temples competitively crack many innovative and charming fire works, which make spectators going into ruptures.

• Roads: NH-17, NH-47
• Nearest Railway Station: Thrissur.
• Nearest Airport: Nedumbassery (KOCHI), 58 kms away.

HISTORY: The name ‘Thrissur’ is the abbreviated form of the Malayalam word 'THRISSIVAPERUR' which means ‘the town of THREE SACRED SIVAS'. The town is built on an elevated ground, at the apex of which is the famous 'VADAKKUMNATHAN' Temple dedicated for Hindu Lord “SIVA”

The early political history of the District is interlinked with that of the ‘Chera Empire’ of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala with their capital at Vanchi. The whole of the present Thrissur District was included in the early Chera Empire.

The District have played a significant part in fostering the trade and cultural relations between Kerala and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period. Kodungalloor, part of Thrissur, had the unique distinction of being the 'Premium Emporium India', as it having given first shelter to all the three communities (Christians, Jews and Muslims) which have contributed to the prosperity of India.