In Thrissur, it's the pooram that matters, not political parties

Statewide rallies by political fronts aside, it is Pooram celebrations take precedence for Thrissur residents in poll-bound Kerala.
Parasols featuring Lord Ayyappan displayed by the Thiruvambady side in the Kudamattom ceremony of the Thrissur Pooram. (File Photo | Albin Mathew, EPS)
Parasols featuring Lord Ayyappan displayed by the Thiruvambady side in the Kudamattom ceremony of the Thrissur Pooram. (File Photo | Albin Mathew, EPS)

What jallikattu is to Tamilians, pooram is to Thrissurites, says Kanattukara native Shankarankutty, as he casually leans against a massive teak tree at Thekkinkadu Maidanam.

“The pooram, its crowds, caparisoned elephants, parades and fireworks are in our blood. No one can destroy that spirit.” 

The 62-year-old, who says he has never missed a pooram ezhunnallathu (parade) in his life until last year, fears that the district administration may reduce the ‘mother of all poorams’ to a low-key affair this time as well. If that is the plan, all pooram lovers and devotees will come together to resist it, he says.

“The recent panchayat elections saw many mass gatherings. Soon, assembly elections will take place in the same manner. Major political fronts are organising statewide rallies and people have been gathering in large numbers over the past couple of days. So, why are the district administration and devaswom authorities hesitant to let people participate in the pooram?” he asks.

K K Gopi of Kuriachira echoes Shankarankutty’s opinion. “The victory or defeat of none of the fronts matters to us. We just want the pooram to be celebrated with all its pomp and splendour,” he says. “It is necessary that devaswom authorities allot a special fund to orgainse the festival. They have said no to the exhibition, from where a major chunk of the festival revenue comes. Last year, the exhibition was cancelled after the pooram committee made all arrangements. This had led to a loss of more than `80 lakh. If we have to tide over the crisis, officials will have to take necessary steps to conduct the pooram in full swing.”

Our vehicle struggles to move forward as we slowly approach the six-lane bypass flyover.

In Pattikkad, the flyover construction has significantly impacted the smooth flow of vehicles.

In Pattikkad, the flyover construction has significantly impacted the smooth flow of vehicles. (Photo | Express)
In Pattikkad, the flyover construction has significantly impacted the smooth flow of vehicles. (Photo | Express)

We stop at Kuthiran, where the work to open up the twin tunnel to ease traffic snarls on the Kochi-Coimbatore corridor is underway. Currently, however, it causes fatal accidents and unending traffic blocks.

“We keep expecting an SOS call any minute from the 1.5km stretch. Ten years ago, we were quite relieved when we heard about the Centre’s twin tunnel proposal here. Now, it is more of a bane than boon. As recently as on February 27, two people were killed here after a lorry fell from the main road to the tunnel road,” says Ajith Kumar K P, an autorickshaw driver at Kuthiran. Disappointed with how the much-awaited project has turned out, Ajith says he would have preferred the country’s erstwhile princely rule to this democratic government.

Guruvayur, however, is in a festive mood. The annual festival at the iconic Sreekrishna temple here is underway, but with limited participation from devotees in the wake of the pandemic.

At the temple, we spot a small crowd gathered in front of the sanctum sanctorum waiting for an ‘utsava bali darshanam’. 

“After the relaxations in restrictions, weddings are also being organised at the temple everyday,” says Reghunatha Kaimal, a Guruvayur native. Life is once again normal in the temple town, he adds, smiling.

As we move to the coastal town of Chavakkad, often referred to as the ‘mini Gulf’ because of the thousands of natives who migrated to Gulf countries in search of jobs in the 1980s and 90s. “I had spent 21 years in Dubai as a helper in a supermarket. But the Gulf dream doesn’t have that charm anymore. The economic crisis over the past few years has changed the situation in Arab countries and the pandemic has obviously made it worse. I took the first flight I got, abandoning what little savings I had.

Now I am working as a daily wager in the town,” says Karunadas Thankampurakkal of Blangad.
The fishing sector here has also witnessed a huge change. P J Babu, a fish vendor at the Chavakkad fish-landing centre close to the beach, says there is not enough fish in the sea anymore. “The fishermen are sitting idle on the beach. Those who venture into the sea return with a meagre catch. On most days, they get less than Rs 300. I have been working on fishing boats and in fish markets for the past 50 years. But the situation just gets grimmer every year. Whoever comes to power — the UDF, LDF or NDA — the future of our youth is in the deep blue sea,” says Babu.

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