Arattupuzha Pooram 2012

Arattupuzha Temple

Located around 14 km from Thrissur, this temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. It is a thousand years old temple, famous for its annual festival - Arattupuzha Pooram. Held in March - April, this is the oldest and the most spectacular of the Pooram festivals of Kerala. About forty one neighboring temples participate in this colorful festival. The highlight of the festival is the ceremonial procession of deities from these neighboring temples on caparisoned elephants. The temple is opened from 05:00 to 09:30 AM and 05:00 to 07:00 PM. Arattupuzha is a culturally significant village located in Thrissur district of Kerala. This village, about 15 km from the town of Thrissur is renowned for the annual festival called Arattupuzha Pooram. It is a festival that takes place with the Sree Sastha Temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, as the nerve centre. It is believed that during the festival period, Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity at the Sree Sastha Temple is visited by gods and goddesses of the neighbouring villages.

The annual festival at Arattupuzha is also termed as the mother of all pooram festivals in Kerala, due to its sheer magnitude and grandeur. The Sree Sastha Temple, which is believed to be more than 3000 years old, and its premises are the venue for the festivities.

Visitors from nearby and from far off places reach the village of Arattupuzha during the festival days, to be part of this grand festival. The pinnacle of excitement and devotion during the seven-day festival is obviously the last two days. The evening prior to the last day of the festival would have an assembly of caparisoned elephants and staging of percussion ensembles as part of the ceremony called Sasthavinte Melam.

The atmosphere during Sasthavinte Melam would have the brilliance of the many brightly lit traditional lamps and also the huge flame bearing staffs, locally called as theevetti. Once this ceremony is over, the elephants carrying deities of nearby temples would proceed to the adjoining paddy field for the grand spectacle that would have 61 elephants lined up amidst a cheering crowd. By early morning the venue would become electrifying with groups of traditional percussion ensembles comprising Panchavadyam, Pacharimelam and Pandimelam playing their best possible beats and rhythms, while the the caparisoned elephants bearing muthukkudas (sequined, glittering umbrellas) andvenchamarams (white whisks) make a delightful sight, they also stand patiently and entertain the crowd.

At sunrise, the elephants carrying deities from neighbouring temples that had gathered at the Sree Sastha Temple at Arattupuzha would proceed to the nearby river for theaarattu ceremony.

It is a ceremonial cleansing process by immersing the idol in the river water amidst chanting of mantras and floral offerings. The last two undergo the aarattu would be Lord Ayyappan, the presiding deity at Arattupuzha.

The Arattupuzha pooram is celebrated to mark the coming together of Gods and Goddesses and the festival is truly a crowd puller due to its elaborate proceedings and grandeur.

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