Thrissur Pooram concludes

Kerala’s festival of the festivals, Thrissur Pooram concluded late Saturday morning at the Thekkinkadu Maidan that surrounds the Vadakkunnathan temple with the two goddesses of Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi temples bidding farewell with a promise to meet at the same venue next year.

Thousands of pooram-buffs witnessed the Pakalpooram (Pooram during the day) on Saturday, the finale for the event that had started with the arrival of Cherupoorams (small poorams) at the Vadakkunnathan temple by 06.00 am Friday. Saturday’s Pakalpooram started with the ezhunnellippu, processions of caparisoned elephants accompanied by percussions ensemble, starting at 07.00 am .

The Ezhunnellippu of the Paramekkavu Devaswom team started at Manikandanal on the southern side of the Vadakkunnathan temple and that of the Thiruvambadi Devaswom team began at Naikkanal on the northern side of the Thekkinkadu maidan.

Thousands cheered the magical flood of musical drum beats when maestros Peruvanam Kuttan Marar and Mattannur Sankarankutty appeared before them to lead scores of percussionists creating vibrant Pandi melam. The finale of the event concluded with a fireworks display at noon .

The main part of the Pooram on Friday had enthralled lakhs, who had gathered in the city and sat in drawing rooms across the State and outside watching it live on the television, with the various special events like the Madathil Varavu, the Ezhunnellippu of the Thiruvambadi section, the famous Ilanjithara Melam percussion, the facing each other the two teams in the evening south of the southern Gopuram of Vadakkunnathan temple and the Kudamattom, the play of colourful silken parasols, which perhaps has been the most watched event of Pooram for years.

Friday’s Pooram also presented a bit of panic when two elephants turned truant running helter-skelter menacingly spreading fear among people who had the memories of the recent events of elephants running amok in Chettuva and Thaikkattusseri in the district in which two persons were killed. Thiruvambadi Unnikrishnan and Nayarambalam Rajasekharan, elephants of the Thiruvambadi team ran amok after some spectators allegedly irritated them. However, both the elephants were tamed later.

Though the partly overcast sky on Friday had created worries among the Pooram-buffs that the fireworks display on early Saturday morning, for which both the Devaswoms had fought court battles in the context of certain stipulations on noise pollution, could be suspended in case of a rain. However, the skies cleared by night and the fireworks were held at 04.00 am Saturday morning.

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