KOCHI: Purusharam is a word that Malayalis widely use to describe the multitude of people that descend on Lord Vadakkumnathan’s land for the Thrissur Pooram — the ‘festival of all festivals’. Though the word doesn’t have any gender connotations, as purists point out, it has been misinterpreted as a synonym for a men’s crowd or male domination. Well, rightly so!
Regaling at the pooram, rooting for the ornate parasols displayed at competitive kudamattam, going into trance with the pulsating melam (percussion) at Ilanjithara, appreciating the array of mighty tuskers, gazing at the high-decibel firecrackers lighting up the night sky — all these joys associated with pooram have traditionally been in ‘male territory’.
However, this year, the buzz was around the pooram turning ‘women-friendly’. In a welcome move, the district administration set up an area exclusively for women to watch the kudamattam up close. Women from various walks of life thronged the reserved area to soak in the jamboree.
“I had attended the pooram only once, when I was a child,” says Shweta Jayakrishnan, an IT professional from Kozhikode. “This year, I wanted to enjoy the festival to the fullest. So, I roamed the Thekkinkad ground all by myself.”
Initially, the experience was displeasing, she adds. “I struggled to watch the Ilanjithara melam. I went by about 1pm and waited right at the front. However, as the melam started, I got crushed in that crowd of men,” says Shweta.
“Soon, people standing nearby asked me to move away and watch the show from a distance. That’s not what I wanted; I wanted to be part of the festivities. But, finally, I had to walk away.” The kudamattam was a pleasant experience, she beams. “As I went out after the melam, I jumped inside a barricaded area. I was surprised to see it was full of women,” says Shweta. “They informed me it was reserved for women. I was able to fully enjoy it, without any botheration.”
Credit for the reserved area, sources say, goes to Athira V, the BJP councillor from Punkunnam division of Thrissur corporation, who had reached out to the district collector to make the pooram women-friendly. She also mooted the reserved space for women during the kudamattam. “Common women, even Thrissur natives, usually don’t get to experience the pooram,” she says.
“Until now, the ‘reservation’ was limited to VIP women. Though the story behind the festival is that goddesses from Parammekavu and Thiruvambadi temples come to pay obeisance to Lord Vadakkumnathan, women were forced to stay away due to the crowds.”
A reserved area was a good beginning, says Athira, who is an assistant professor of Hindi at Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur. “However, the space could contain only about 500 women. Next year, we need to make it bigger,” she adds.
Ajitha Vishal, of Thrissur, says she attended the pooram for the first time this year, thanks to the reserved area. “I reached the venue by 2.30pm for the kudamattam scheduled at 5pm. By 3.30pm, however, the area was packed. It was an amazing experience,” says the panchayat member from Chowannur. Ajitha, a nurse by profession, hopes there would be similar arrangements for the Ilanjithara melam, too, next year. “We need such spaces in most of at such events and festivals,” she adds.
Braving the crowd
Not all women were aware of the reserved area for women. Some of them attended the pooram with the general crowd. “I am from Thrissur, but I had never attended the pooram before,” says Krishnapriya, a journalist from Thrissur. A video of her shedding tears of joy while watching kudamattam, sitting atop a male friend’s shoulder, went viral on Tuesday. Krishnapriya was at the pooram with three friends, including two women. “It was difficult to watch the Kudamattam,” she says. “I’m short. So I couldn’t see anything,” says Krishnapriya. “That’s when my friend lifted me up on his shoulders, and I was able to watch the elephants and parasols.” Krishnapriya’s friend Reshma Joy, a model and dancer based in Thrissur, was another first-timer at the pooram. “I live nearby but always watched the pooram from far-away buildings. So this year, I was determined to be part of the crowd. We were also able to enjoy the Ilanjithara melam,” she says.
‘A man grabbed me’
Krishnapriya recalls a nasty experience at the pooram. “I was walking with my friends towards the front row to watch the kudamattam. Suddenly, a man grabbed me from behind. I slapped him and rushed away as my aim was to reach the front. I must say, this is why women avoid crowded places — the indecent behaviour of some men,” she says. Arathi (name changed), who was at the pooram for the first time, says she would never have gone if not for the reserved area. “Most of the men might be immersed in the festivities. But the fear of some men trying to take advantage of the crowd and misbehaving kept me away from, the pooram. This year, that dream came true,” says the Thrissur native.
Locked-up toilets
Beani Bernadin, a nurse from Kollam, shares an unexpected experience at the pooram. “My friend and I desperately searched for a toilet in the area. Though, finally, we found one for women, it was closed due to lack of water,” says. “We pleaded with the police and other officials, but they refused to open the toilet. Finally, we went to a restaurant,” says Beani, who was attending the pooram for the first time.
Record participation
10-12 lakh people attended Thrissur Pooram as per early estimates
200 people attended Thrissur Pooram as per early estimates