Thrissur Pooram

Thrissur Pooram

Thrissur Pooram, considered to be the mother of all poorams, is a cultural highlight par excellence. Celebrated in the month of April / May.

Thrissur Pooram is particularly a people’s festival in all respects. It is different from other national festivals like the Kumbha Mela of Uttar Pradesh, the Vijayadashami pageantry of Mysore or the Rath Yatra of Orissa. Pooram is participated and conducted by people from all the walks of life, cutting across all barriers of religion and caste.

The two century old festival of eye-catching procession of best costumed elephants and enthusing mind-blowing performances in a never ending sequence is a 36 hours marathon event of unbelievable beauty. The entire festival is a treat for the eye and the ear, outstretched between 6 am to 12 pm next day.

Historical Background

Before the advent of Thrissur Pooram, the largest temple festival during summer in central Kerala was the one-day festival held at Aarattupuzha, 12 km south of the town. Temples in and around Thrissur were regular participants of this religious exercise until they were once denied entry by the responsible chief of the Peruvanam area of Cherpu, known for its Namboodiri (the Brahmins of Kerala) supremacy.

As an act of vengeance and also in a bid to mollify their wounded feelings, Prince Rama Varma (1751-1805), also known as Sakthan Thampuran and enthroned as the ruler of the erstwhile Cochin state invited all these temples to bring their deities to Thrissur where they could pay obeisance to Lord (Sri) Vakunnathan, the deity of the Vadakunnathan temple. Further he directed the main temples of Thrissur, Thruvambadi and Pamamekkavu, to extend all help and support to these temples. It is this historical background that determines the course of the Pooram program and it is specifically the ruler's antipathy to the brahmin aristocracy to open Thrissur Pooram for the common man.

Religious Background

The sprawling Thekkinkadi maidan, encircling the Vadakumnathan temple, is the main venue of the festival.
Principle participants are Paramekkavu and Tiruvambadi, close to the Vadakunnathan temple.
Also participating and known as 'Cherupooram' are the suburban temples at Kanimangalam, Karamukku, Choorakkattukara, Laloor, Ayyanthole, Neithilakkavu and Chembukkavu, Panamukkampilly, altogether 8 deities.
Adhering to the medieval Peruvanam tradition, the festival is confined to the temples of Devi (goddess) and Sastha (divine combination of Shiva and Vishnu).
Ten deities from the neighboring temples pay obeisance to the presiding deity of Thrissur and only spectator of the Pooram events, Lord Siva at the Sree Vadakkunnathan temple, situated in the centre of the town.