Every
April/May, this temple town rises to showcase to the rest of
the world the splendor and grandeur of a festival that is
essentially religious, but catholic in spirit, with people
from all faiths taking active part and playing crucial roles
in ensuring its success.
The History
The genesis
of the festival can be traced to the mid-18th century reign of
Sakthan Thampuran, the ruler of Cochin State, who is also
believed to the architect of Thrissur.
History
tells us that the State was in a mess when the king took over,
mainly due to squabbles among feudal lords and the hegemony of
the priestly class. In order to restore a sense of self-pride
among the residents, he renovated the 10-acre Vadakkunathan
temple complex, and the venue for the festival is the
sprawling Thekkinkadu ground encircling the temple.
The golden thalapattams, umbrellas etc kept for pooja
The deity
is a manifestation of Lord Shiva, but the Pooram itself is not
dedicated to him; it is a display of prowess of two nearby
temples -- dedicated to the Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu
goddesses -- in his presence.
The
Thrissur pooram festival which is regarded as the biggest
festival which attracts a large number of tourists from India
and abroad every year is famous for elephants decorated with
golden 'thalapattam' i.e. golden plates covering the entire
portion from head to trunk which is a specialty in Kerala.
About ninety elephants assemble in the temple. In those days
rich landlords used to gift elephants to temples called 'nadayiruthal'.
Even now, the Guruvayoor Devaswam is said to have a herd of
more than 56 elephants.
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The Elephants
The majestic
array of elephants
Its a
wonder since Keralites treat elephants as domestic animal and
give them human names. Stories about elephants having children
in distress and their own master or mahouts from impending
dangers. During off seasons elephants are put to work in
timber depots.
The tusker's tail is said to protect one from evil spirits if
worn in a golden ring. "Anapindam" i.e. elephant droppings is
said to possess a medicinal effect for arthritis.
It is described by many that, "a jumbo dead or alive is
equally valued." In olden-day wars of the four types of armies
also called 'chaturangasena' the Aana Pada (elephant army) was
said to be the most advanced. A poem in Malayalam on "the
sorrow of a mahout", on the death of his long time companion
is an apt tribute paid to a tusker and a testimony of
Malayalis' affirmation to the elephant.
Elephant
and Kerala are indivisibly related. Kerala must be the only
place where a statue has been erected in the memory of an
elephant, Guruvayoor Kesavan, who served the presiding deity
of Guruvayoor for several decades. To add more an elephant
race is conducted every year at Guruvayoor.
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Elephants and Pooram
The elephants,
the people, the musicians all a part of Thrissur Pooram
Temples are very large in number in Kerala and no festival in
the temples is complete without an elephant. It is a great
delight to see the pachyderms standing majestically with men
on its back holding 'kodai' (umbrellas) waving 'venchamarams'
and 'alavattams' and crescendo of Panchavadyam' which goes on
uninterrupted in front. Mounting on an elephant and sitting on
its back for hours together calls for tremendous patience and
stamina
The run-up
to this magnificent rivalry begins the previous evening, with
a public display of the caparisons and other accessories that
will decorate the elephants the next day. The town is already
crawling with people, many of whom will most likely spend the
night on the streets.
As day
breaks, the town is ready for the first item on the agenda,
the `ezhunellippu' (or procession) of the Kannimangalam
Shasta. The entire Thekkinkadu ground is thick with the mood
of the hour, as the first of six minor poorams, in honour of
other gods, commences. The elephants, decked in their Pooram
best, stand patiently in a row as the Panchavadyam players
treat the thronging crowds to a scintillating tapestry of
traditional percussion and wind music patterns.
The Panchavadyam artists providing the music to the
festivities
The
festival is an important occasion for the Panchavadyam
artistes to show off their mettle, and with only the best 200
or so artistes from the disciplines of thimila, maddalam,
trumpet, cymbal and edakka chosen for a share of the
spotlight, the stakes are high.
There is no
respite from the sweltering heat, but the people are unfazed.
With undiminished enthusiasm, they follow the elephants and
the musicians which move from one minor temple to another,
stopping to pay obeisance, which usually lasts for an hour or
so. Of course, the myriad cool drink vendors are a timely
help.
As the
moment approaches, the many roads leading to the temple
entrance swell with the hundreds of thousands of people who
have been waiting all year for the ritual to begin. As far as
the eye can see, are people. On trees, on the streets, in
buildings, on rooftops; no building is spared -- people
craning out of everywhere, keen on getting a bird's-eye view
of the whole affair. The atmosphere is tinged with the
surreal.
As the `kudamattom'
or changing of colourful parasols begins, there is a
collective uproar from the crowds at both ends of the stretch,
where 15 elephants stand in golden glory as the parasol
holders keep changing the patterns at regular intervals, to
the accompaniment of raucous cheering and frenzied
Panchavadyam.
The colourful umbrellas on display
The
crowning glory of the festival is over in an about an hour,
but the festivities continue. Through the evening, and into
the wee hours until the fireworks begin, there is revelry and
celebration everywhere. Businesses ply through the night, and
no one seems to be in any mood to rest.
Around
three the next morning, the pyrotechnics begin. Thunderous and
majestic, they paint the night sky in many-splendoured streaks
of colourful fire. The gaping millions are enchanted, and are
held in thrall for about an hour.
The 36-hour
break from the year-long monotony of humdrum small-town life
comes to an end. The crowds slowly trickle out of the hub, and
beat a path to their homes. It's a new day, and it's back to
business as usual.
Symbolic of
the farewell that the visitors bid to the Pooram, the
elephants of the two temples come together for one last time
before Lord Shiva, signaling the culmination of the 36-hour
party. Another year, another Pooram, the same magic.
..More on
Thrissur Pooram
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