Thrissur
Pooram is a major event for every person who is living in this town and
near by villages. This festival has become so popular that it was declared
as the festival of the day at www.festivals.com on the 25th of April,
1999. Pooram is a festival which lasts for 2 days. The town would have
become a place of hectic activities much before the festival. Trade Fairs,
and the decorative towers are setup. The festival has got many small temples
as participants, along with the two major temples of the town Thiruvambady
and Paramekkavu who has got the highest privileges and honours. The major
events however takes place in and around Vadakkunnathan temple which has
lord Shiva as its cheif diety. At around 7 am in the morning, the Ezhunallippu
from Thiruvambady begins. At the same time, the processions from each
of the surrounding temples too reach the town through a different route.
All these processions finally reach in front of Vadakunnathan temple and
would enter it. Each of these processions are led by musicians playing
the traditional Chenda Melam (Drum Music). In
the mean time the elephant from the Thiruvambady procession bearing the
diety (see the picture to the left) would have gone to the Madham (Monastery)
to get some of the ornaments worn by the elephant. The reason for doing
so was a century old practise. Many years ago, the procession of Thiruvambady
required some of the elephant's ornaments which was kept in the safe custody
of the head priest of the monastery. When the authorities contacted the
head priest, he told them that he will not give the ornaments to the temple,
instead the procession can come upto his monastery, wear all the decorations
from there, and then proceed towards Vadakkunnathan temple. This practise
later came to be known as Madathile Varavu (the march from the monastery).
It
would have been noon, and the hot sun would be blazing, but it would be
time for Elanjithara Melam (Drum music in front of the Elanji tree). More
than a 100 artistes take part in this orchestra playing the traditional
Keralite music Melam which uses both percussion and wind instruments.
This program starts after the procession from Paramekkavu temple enters
Vadakkunnathan temple through the eastern gate. After this it is time
for the Kuda mattam(changing of the parasols). Here 10 elephants from
both the processions stand face to face, and there is a changing of the
umbrellas which are held on top of elephants. This ritual is the widely
watched item, and the people standing in-between the two sets of elephants
just cheer on both the parties. Late in the evening, this function comes
to a close, and the crowd just disperses. Night
would fall, and all the temporary towers raised would be illuminated.
By around mid-night people will start crowding for the major event of
the festival - the Vedikkettu (Fire works display). The wait for the fire
works to start is a long one, and may be at 2 a.m, either Paramekkavu
or Thiruvambady lights the first cracker. After the first cracker is lighted
the whole atmosphere changes. Unlike in most other fire displays, here
each and every cracker is not lighted. The crackers are placed in small
pits in the ground, and a route is made between them using gun powder.
Once the fire is lit, it goes to each and every pit throwing up the cracker
placed inside it. The cracker goes up and bursts. With each cracker bursting,
the sound increases. And finally it reaches the 'Finishing Point' where
a huge ball of light is made up (see the picture on the right) and the
sound becomes so deafening, that most of the people unknowningly takes
steps backwards! The
same event is repeated by the next party. Then both the parties turn to
the colour fire works display. The crackers go up and burst creating a
wide range of colours (see picture on the left). The fire crackers which
go up and burst some times has got smaller crackers which even goes further
up and explodes, thus forming some thing like a multi-level fire cracker!
Around 50 to 75 years back this used to be in the range of over 25 levels,
but now it has been reduced to a lesser level by the police authorities.
At dawn the fire work display ends, and the major part of the pooram is
finished. The next day morning there is a small ritual of Pakal Pooram
(Day-time rituals) and this goes all the way upto the afternoon. In the
afternoon, the elephants bearing the figures of the dieties, will salute
each other (using the trunks), and they return to their respective temples.
They will then have a re-union, the following year in the auspicious day
of Pooram, which comes in the month of April-May
Thrissur
Pooram is a major event for every person who is living in this town and
near by villages. This festival has become so popular that it was declared
as the festival of the day at www.festivals.com on the 25th of April,
1999. Pooram is a festival which lasts for 2 days. The town would have
become a place of hectic activities much before the festival. Trade Fairs,
and the decorative towers are setup. The festival has got many small temples
as participants, along with the two major temples of the town Thiruvambady
and Paramekkavu who has got the highest privileges and honours. The major
events however takes place in and around Vadakkunnathan temple which has
lord Shiva as its cheif diety. At around 7 am in the morning, the Ezhunallippu
from Thiruvambady begins. At the same time, the processions from each
of the surrounding temples too reach the town through a different route.
All these processions finally reach in front of Vadakunnathan temple and
would enter it. Each of these processions are led by musicians playing
the traditional Chenda Melam (Drum Music). 
In
the mean time the elephant from the Thiruvambady procession bearing the
diety (see the picture to the left) would have gone to the Madham (Monastery)
to get some of the ornaments worn by the elephant. The reason for doing
so was a century old practise. Many years ago, the procession of Thiruvambady
required some of the elephant's ornaments which was kept in the safe custody
of the head priest of the monastery. When the authorities contacted the
head priest, he told them that he will not give the ornaments to the temple,
instead the procession can come upto his monastery, wear all the decorations
from there, and then proceed towards Vadakkunnathan temple. This practise
later came to be known as Madathile Varavu (the march from the monastery).
It
would have been noon, and the hot sun would be blazing, but it would be
time for Elanjithara Melam (Drum music in front of the Elanji tree). More
than a 100 artistes take part in this orchestra playing the traditional
Keralite music Melam which uses both percussion and wind instruments.
This program starts after the procession from Paramekkavu temple enters
Vadakkunnathan temple through the eastern gate. After this it is time
for the Kuda mattam(changing of the parasols). Here 10 elephants from
both the processions stand face to face, and there is a changing of the
umbrellas which are held on top of elephants. This ritual is the widely
watched item, and the people standing in-between the two sets of elephants
just cheer on both the parties. Late in the evening, this function comes
to a close, and the crowd just disperses. 
Night
would fall, and all the temporary towers raised would be illuminated.
By around mid-night people will start crowding for the major event of
the festival - the Vedikkettu (Fire works display). The wait for the fire
works to start is a long one, and may be at 2 a.m, either Paramekkavu
or Thiruvambady lights the first cracker. After the first cracker is lighted
the whole atmosphere changes. Unlike in most other fire displays, here
each and every cracker is not lighted. The crackers are placed in small
pits in the ground, and a route is made between them using gun powder.
Once the fire is lit, it goes to each and every pit throwing up the cracker
placed inside it. The cracker goes up and bursts. With each cracker bursting,
the sound increases. And finally it reaches the 'Finishing Point' where
a huge ball of light is made up (see the picture on the right) and the
sound becomes so deafening, that most of the people unknowningly takes
steps backwards!
The
same event is repeated by the next party. Then both the parties turn to
the colour fire works display. The crackers go up and burst creating a
wide range of colours (see picture on the left). The fire crackers which
go up and burst some times has got smaller crackers which even goes further
up and explodes, thus forming some thing like a multi-level fire cracker!
Around 50 to 75 years back this used to be in the range of over 25 levels,
but now it has been reduced to a lesser level by the police authorities.
At dawn the fire work display ends, and the major part of the pooram is
finished. The next day morning there is a small ritual of Pakal Pooram
(Day-time rituals) and this goes all the way upto the afternoon. In the
afternoon, the elephants bearing the figures of the dieties, will salute
each other (using the trunks), and they return to their respective temples.
They will then have a re-union, the following year in the auspicious day
of Pooram, which comes in the month of April-May