Thrissur Pooram Clebrating on 1st May 2012

Thrissur Pooram is the most spectacular and colourful festival of Kerala. 2012 pooram celebrating on May 1^st. The venue of the pooram is at Vadakkumnathan temple. The Thrissur pooram, is celebrated every year, on the pooram day, in the month of Medam (mid-april to mid-may) month as per the malayalam calendar. Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of the erstwhile Cochin State in the late 18th century introduced this festival. Thrissur town plays host, for  long 36 hours of the pooram, to one of the most largest collection of people and fifty or more elephants. The ezhunnellippu programme, which is considered to be a ritual sybolising the visit of the Devi from the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi temples to the Vadakkunnathan temple. A major event of the Pooram festival is the Panchavadyam in which about 200 artistes from the disciplines of Thimila, Maddalam, Trumpet, Cymbal and Edakka participate. Another major event of the pooram begins with the setting off of the 'Pandemelam' at noon in which about 200 artistes in the disciplines of drum, trumpets, pipe and cymbal participate. The main features of the pooram festival are these decorated elephants with their nettipattam (decorative headdress), beautiful crafted umbrella, the kolam, decorative bells and ornaments, etc. Splendid caparisoned elephant procession, Kudamattom (umbrella showing competition), Elanjitharamelam (drum concerts), spectacular firework displays are the cynosure of Pooram that draws unbelievable number of people to the city. At 3' 0 Clock in the night spectacular display of fireworks begins. It lasts till 6' 0 clock in the morning and by afternoon the festival ends. Festival Started by Shakthan Thampuran

Sakthan Thampuran, the then ruler of Cochin, united the 10 temples situated around Vadakkunnathan Temple and organized the celebration of Thrissur Pooram. The celebrations last for over 36 hours and also include parasol displays and firework shows. The dazzling display of fireworks starts in the early hours and last for three to four hours.
The Ten participants of the Pooram are :

Thiruvambady Bhagavathi Temple

Paramekkavu Bhagavathi Temple

Kanimangalam Sastha Temple at Kanimangalam

Pookkattikkara - Karamukku Baghavathy Temple at Karamukku near Chiyyaram

                   

Choorakkottukavu Bagavathy Temple at Choorakkattukara

Laloor Baghavathy Temple at Laloor

       

Sree Karthyayani Temple at Ayyanthole

      

Nethilakkavu Bagavathy Temple at Neithilakkavu near Kuttoor

Chembukkavu Bagavathy Temple at Chembukkavu

               

Panamukkumpally Sastha Temple at Panamukkampilly near East Fort Thrissur