Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram, is a spectacle like none other in the world. Nowhere can see so much colour, so much pagentry, so many caparisoned elephants! Perhaps the most colourful temple festival in India, it attracts thousands of devotees and spectators from all over the world.
The
Thrissur Pooram is a grand finale to a series of Poorams or temple festivals
held at temples in and around Thrissur at around April-May. The Pooram commences
with a grand procession of exquisitely caparisoned elephants from various
neighbouring temples converging at the Vadakumnatha temple.
The Pooram is an enthusiastic contest between two temples - the Paramekkavu and the Thiruvambadi. Image of the dieties of these temples are taken on a procession by a set of caparisoned elephants each and come to the Vadakumnathan Temple (at the centre of the town). Legend has it that the respective dieties of these temples are on annual visit to the Vadakumnatha temple. Both the group assemble face to face at the Southern gate vying with each other in grandeaur and pagentry. Each temple is allowed 15 elephants. Both the temples strive to enlist the most tallest and grandest elephants.
At the Pooram, first one group unfurls colourful, elaborately decorated umbrellas
and holds it aloft for a few minutes for everyone to appreciate it. When it
is shut and taken down after a few minutes display, the other group unfurls
their umbrellas which are equally or more beautiful and this goes on for a
few hours. This friendly contest continues in all aspects of the Pooram -
pageantry, music, fireworks.
