THRISSUR: Marking a break from the ‘heat’ of the election campaign, Thrissur city opened up to welcome festival enthusiasts for its 36-hour-long ‘pooram of poorams’. A perfect blend of religious ardour and carnival spirit, the festivities were marked with fervour and fanfare.
Thousands thronged Swaraj Round to immerse themselves in the annual visual and cultural extravaganza on a day that the mercury touched 37 degrees Celsius. After the 68% humidity kept pooram enthusiasts away for the best part of morning, the cheru pooram ezhunnellippu — that filled the air with the rhythms of the panchavadyam — turned Thekkinkadu Maidan into a sea of people of all ages and genders.
The general euphoria seemed to have rubbed off on next week’s general election, as the major candidates for Thrissur constituency — LDF’s V S Sunil Kumar, UDF’s K Muraleedharan and NDA’s Suresh Gopi – were seen interacting with festivalgoers in and around Sree Vadakkunnathan, Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu temples from early morning.
But it was Thechikottukavu Ramachandran who caught the eye. “The tusker made a grand entry, that too carrying the idol of Kuttoor Neithala Kavilamma. None could match him in terms of grandeur,” said Praveen Kareth, from Thalakkottukara, near Kunnamkulam.
As has become customary, the Thrissur Pooram attracted controversy this year, too. It all started with the Cochin Devaswom Board increasing the ground fee for staging the pooram exhibition at Thekkinkad Maidan from `39 lakh to `2.20 crore. The BJP and Congress held protest rallies against the move. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while launching Suresh Gopi as the BJP candidate termed the controversy unfortunate. This was followed by questions over distance between elephants and spectators and issuance of fitness licences for captive tuskers.
On Friday, however, nothing could spoil the show as Kongad Madhu, as ‘pramani’, led the reverberating beats of the panchavadyam, that first saw pooram lovers soaring to heights of ecstacy before the percussionists moved on to the ilanjithara melam.
After the kudamattam concluded with a grand trumpet blast, the crowd dispersed to partake in the rathri pooram (night festival) rituals and festivities.
This year’s pooram, like in previous years, offered something for everyone. Some delighted in the panchavadyam, while others took to the pandimelam and ilanjithara melam. For others, it was all about the kudamattam, the display of caparisoned elephants and gopuras. While some festivalgoers were seen visiting the temples as part of their rituals, others used the event as an opportunity to reconnect with friends and relatives. It was truly a ‘pooram for all’!
Star attraction
It was Thechikottukavu Ramachandran who caught the eye at the pooram.
After the kudamattam concluded with a grand trumpet blast, the crowd dispersed to partake in the rathri pooram rituals.
Some were seen visiting the temples as part of their rituals others used the event as an opportunity to reconnect with friends.