Thrissur Pooram - Overview

Overview

Thrissur Pooram is called 'thee pooram of all poorams' (festival). UNESCO adjudged Thrissur Pooram as “the most spectacular festival event on the planet”. It is one of the biggest of all the festivals held in Kerala state. The Thrissur pooram, is celebrated every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar. Thrissur pooram is hosted by the Thrissur Vadakkumnadhan Temple at the Thekkinkadu Maidan, the hillock in which the temple is situated. The festival is held for 36 hours from the morning of the starting day. It starts as an ensemble of cheru poorams (meaning little poorams) conducted by 8 other temples in the vicinity. The major celebrations of the pooram is not conducted by the Vadakkunnadhan temple, but by Paramekkavu Bhagavathy and Thiruvambadi Bhagavathy, the deities who are supposed to be the representations of the Hindu goddess Parvati, thus the wives of Lord Shiva, the Vadakkunnadhan. These two local temples conduct the festivals in a very competitive matter. The main events of the pooram are Madhathil Varavu (by Thiruvambady Temple),Ilanjithara melam (by Paramekkavu Temple), Kudamattam (by both) and Vedikkettu, which is the local word for firworks (by both).