THRISSUR : Two sets of 15 elephants facing each other with a sea of humanity between them. That’s the iconic setting of the Thrissur Pooram. And as the evening sky witnesses the colourful kudamattam, the white adornment of venchamaram offers a stark contrast, a sight that pooram enthusiasts go crazy for.
Crafting venchamaran for the Paramekkavu temple is Muraleedharan C, a retired professor from Kuttimuck. In fact, he has been in charge of these white adornments for more than five decades. The passion towards the craft and the devotion to the festival have kept him going, with the tradition passed down by his forefathers.
The white hangings used in the venchamaram is the hair of yak, native to the Himalayas. The cleaned and dried hair is tied to a thin rope with minute details. Then, with utmost care, Muraleedharan rolls them tightly to the conical wooden mould, forming the final venchamaram. Along with the caparisons and the glittering umbrellas, aalavattam and venchamaram are essential ingredients of the grandeur of the Thrissur Pooram.
“Venchamaram is an adornment used across the country for temple rituals,” Muraleedharan told TNIE. “In some ashrams, it is used for blessing people, while in some temples, it is used for the deity as an adornment. However, its use in an elephant parade happens only in Kerala.
While we use two ropes of yak hair for normal venchamaram, for the kudamattom, we use six such ropes so that they add beauty to the proceedings and can be seen from far away.”
Though sitting for long has its challenges, Muraleedharan gets down to work ahead of the festival season.
“The work on aalavattam, made using peacock feather, begins from January. Since childhood, I have seen my father totally involved in this craft. While I worked as a lecturer, I tried my best to be involved in these works, assisting my father.
To be a part of Thrissur Pooram, with such a signature craft piece, is definitely a rare opportunity, and I want to continue it for as long as possible,” Muraleedharan said.
It takes at least a week to process and tie the yak hair. The intricate detailing of aalavattam too takes time, he pointed out. In a sign of the younger generation keeping the family tradition alive, Muraleedharan’s nephew Akhilesh is also learning the art, so that he too can one day be a part of the centuries-old festival.