Pooram Vannalo! :)

                                   

May 1^st saw a beautiful congregation of people at the Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur, Kerala. Why, you ask? For the Thrissur pooram of course. Kerala’s most spectacular elephant and fireworks festival, the Thrissur Pooram enchanted thousands who experienced the best of temple art and culture including colorful pageants and ensemble of percussion drums, pipes and cymbals. Residents of Thrissur take to streets on this day, Pooram Nakshatra day in the month of medam to witness the most enrapturing display of decorated elephants with their nettipattam (decorative golden headdress), beautifuliy crafted kolam, decorative bells and ornaments etc. Add to this is the panchavadyam, the rhythmic beating of the drum, and what would be a cacophony otherwise is turned into an organized but spontaneous symphony. For all those who thought Kerala was only about backwaters, coconut oil, mallu accent and fish, well this is the splendour of god’s own country for you.

While watching the pooram yesterday, I was thoroughly mesmerized by the way the tuskers were made to assemble there, their majestic stride and the even more royal panchavadyam. But then, it was odd for me because I didn’t know why this was even happening. That led me to research about the very beginnings of this pooram. Take a read. Many Hindu rituals and festivals date back centuries the Thrissur pooram is only about 200 or more years old. It was orchestrated by the then ruler of Cochin, Sakthan Thampuran or Raja Rama Varma, in 1798. Sakthan Thampuran, so known for his firm and decisive administration, decided to break tradition and create a venue for the temples belonging to his region to celebrate their pooram festival. Before the advent of Thrissur Pooram, the largest temple festival during summer in Thrissur thaluk was the one-day festival held at Arattupuzha, 12 km south of the city. Temples in and around Thrissur were regular participants of this religious exercise until they were denied entry by the chief of Peruvanam Gramam. The delay caused by the temples from Thrissur and Kuttanellur, was one of the reasons for denial. This caused the Thrissur Naduvazhi, the chief poojari of Vadakkunnathan, known as Yogadiripad and the Kuttanellur Naduvazhi started the pooram in Thrissur. This pooram started as an act of reprisal quickly lost its charm, after infighting between the two main Naduvazhis. It required the intervention of the ruler to get this right. Sakthan Thampuran unified the 10 temples situated around Vadakkunnathan temple and organized the celebration of Thrissur Pooram as a mass festival. Sakthan Thampuran ordained these temples into two groups, Western group and Eastern group. The Western group as Thiruvambady consisting of Kanimangalam, Laloor, Ayyanthole, Nethilakkavu and the Thiruvambady temple, as the main one. The Eastern group called as Paramekkavu, 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), to pay obeisance to the Shiva, the presiding deity. The Thampuran is believed to have chalked out the program and the main events of the Thrissur pooram festival.

Confusing names? I know. I myself had to google all these places. But yes I sat and watched the amazing array of festivities yesterday from 2 till 8 and I wasn’t a wee bit disappointed. If there any elephant lovers out there, the pooram is one thing you just CAN NOT miss. 15 elephants from both groups, decked with their magnificent nettipatams (which btw an increasing number of people be it mallus or otherwise hang in their cars) and bells and garlands are quite a sight. What is even cuter about them is the way their tails wag. It’s amazing how huge animals that look so mighty from the front can look so baby-ishly cute from the back :P okay enough with my obsession with tusker butts. The Thrissur pooram, is celebrated every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar. While all poorams have a huge influence on surrounding neighborhoods and towns, few other festivals require their active involvement. Thrissur town plays host, for 36 hours from the wee hours of the pooram day, to one of the most largest collection of people and elephants. The richly decorated elephant, as seen during the Thrissur pooram, is now globally recognized, and its associated with Kerala. On the pooram day, fifty (50) or more elephants pass through the very center of Thrissur town, the Vadakkunnathan temple. The kodamattam is like the main event in this celebration. Beautiful umbrellas all made for the occassion are changed and adorned over the elephants during the ceremony. 


One can definitely see the royal way of going about festivities in the fact that umbrellas (made out of costly materials, some even having jewels embedded in them) and the nettipatam that the elephant wears (that is made of gold and fabric) used this year will not be used again. I have no clue what they do with them but imagine every year new previous stuff in their storerooms! Quite rich, don't you think? Raja Ravi Varma will be quite a proud man if he was to see his brainchild taking place even today. 

Having been to the vadakkunnathan kshethram once, I can tell you that the place is amazingly beautiful and very serene. Despite being in the thick of things in Thrissur this Shiva temple has a certain aura to it. The pooram could not get a better background than this age old temple.

The magnificent celebration isn’t called the pooram of poorams (festival of festivals) for nothing.