Kerala is known for its temple festivals. Thrissur Pooram is the most colourful temple festival of Kerala. It is celebrated at Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur in the month of April or May. The spaciously laid out temple situated on a hillock right in the centre of the city attracts thousands of devotees and tourists from all over the world during the festival. It will begin on 13th May 2019 and will end in the evening of 14th May 2019.
Pooram is a mesmerising display with night long fireworks, colourful ‘Kudamattom’, umbrellas, the well known ‘Elanjithara Melam’ and an amazing elephant procession. The best elephants from all the temples in Kerala are sent to Trichur for the participation in the eight-day Pooram Festival.
The celebration on the final day starts in the morning with fifteen elephants marching from Thiruvambadi temple which is also situated nearby to the Vadukunnathan temple. The main elephant of the marching group carries the idol of Lord Krishna. At the same time another group of 15 elephants, will start marching from Paramekavu Bhagavathy temple. Another elephant which is the leader of this group will carry the idol of the goddess. These beautifully decorated thirty elephants stand facing each other in two rows in the Tekkinkadu maidan. The venue has amazing music being played with drums and Nadaswarams (a flute-like instrument). In the afternoon around 2’0 clock, a crescendo of music starts from the area under an Elanchi tree. This is called the ‘Elanchithara Melam’ and it lasts for three hours. The artists have a competitive spirit. The entire place is filled with music. Even the elephants seem to enjoy the music created with drums and flutes.
In the evening, people carrying colourfully decorated umbrellas and ‘Venchamaramas’ which means the peacock-fan, sit on the elephants and participate in the umbrella showing competition called the ‘Kudamattom’. They keep on inter-changing the umbrellas and the peacock fans in perfect rhythm to the music. After this event, the elephants are sent back and the statues of Lord Krishna and the goddess are returned to the temple. By the night, the entire ground is lighted up with lamps. Early the next morning at around 3′ 0 Clock, an astonishing display of fireworks begins, lasting for almost three hours. The display of fireworks is also a competition between two parties representing the two regions. The festival terminates by the afternoon.
