Thrissur Pooram, the pooram of all Poorams, falls in April every year. It is different from other national festivals like the Kumbha Mela of Uttar Pradesh, the Vijayadashami pageantry of Mysore or the Rath Yatra of Orissa. It is intrinsically a people’s festival in all respects It is conducted by the active participation of people cutting across all barriers of caste and religion.

The unique catholic nature of Pooram could be traced to its genesis two centuries ago when Sakthan Thampuran, the very architect of Thrissur, became the ruler of the erstwhile state Kochi. When he, Prince Rama Varma (1751-1805), enthroned as the ruler, the fortunes of the state was at its lowest ebb. The state was totally disorganized with internecine feuds among feudal lords and the priestly class. Events like occupation of the Thrissur palace by the Zamorin of Kozhikode and a series of invasions by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore who had converted the sacred precincts of Vadakunnathan temple into his battle Headquarters were humiliating experiences to the new ruler. The result was the renovation by him of the 10 acre temple complex.

He was obsessed with the rampant corruption in the administration of the Vaddakkannathan temple. He turned his attention towards overcoming the Brahmin hegemony.At a time when nobody would have dared to look straight at the almighty Namboodiris, Sakthan Thampuran stripped of their powers and took over the administration of the temple that claimed an antiquity of more than three centuries. Thrissur Pooram, its major venue is the sprawling Thekkinkadu Maidan, is an outcome of his antipathy to the blue-blooded aristocracy. He entrusted the onus of holding the festival to the two temples- Tthiruvampadi and Paramekkavu temples that had never been under the control of the Namboodiris. He is said to have drawn up the 36-hour hectic schedule of the Pooram festival.

Thrissur Pooram, the mother of all temple festivals in the state, is essentially one of spectacles. The two devaswams- Thiruvampadi and Paramekkavu- explore and exploit every source at their command to make this annual festival a memorable one. It is celebrated with a colourful procession of caparisoned elephants, parasol exchanges, drum concerts, display of pyro-techniques and refreshing scenes of public participation. During the festival season, Thrissur, popularly known as the temple town turns into a town of colour, music and mirth. The Pooram programmes extending about 36 hours begins with the ezhunellippu of the Kanimangalam Shasta in the morning followed by the ezhunnellippu of the other six minor temples on the Pooram Day. The ezhunnellippu programme which is considered to be a ritual symbolising 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 grand finale of this festival of colour, music and fire works would be marked with a function of bidding farewell to the deities of the Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswams in front of the Western Gate of the Vadakkunnathan Temple.

A noteworthy feature of the pooram festival is the participation of a cross section of people and elephants. The pachyderms emerge out in all their regalia with newly fabricated caparisons. They make their way through the milling crowds drawn from all religions, castes and creed to the accompaniment of ecstatic percussion ensembles. The exhibition of the paraphernalia of elephant decorative, commonly known as ‘Aana Chamayal pradarsanam’, the spectacular show of ‘Kudamattom’ in which parasols of myriad numbers, designs and colours are exchanged by the people atop the elephants.

The Pooram festival is concluded with a spectacular fire works display, which is held in the wee hours of the day after the Pooram. The Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswams present many innovative patterns and varieties of fire works which make spectators going into raptures. This famous and mighty display of the magnificent display of fireworks add to the popularity of the Pooram festival.

The most striking feature of the Thrissur Pooram is its very secular nature. The Muslim and Christian Communities actively take part in it and they play a very prominent role in the very conduct of the festival. Most of the pandals are the craft work of the experts from the Muslim community. For the two days of the festival, the CMS High School owned by the North Kerala Diocese of CST Church and located on the western part of the Swaraj Round, becomes virtually the Headquarters of the Thiruvampadi Devaswam. The temple elephants are tied in the school compound. The ‘Aana Chamaya pradarsanam’ is also held here. The parasols for the ‘Kudamattom’ are offered by the churches and their members. At a time when the secular fabric of the Indian Society is slowly disintegrating, one can not be myopic to the relevance of Thrissur Pooram, the conduct of which should become worthy of emulation to other festivals in the country.

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Machattu Mamangam

Machad comprises of several desams. They are Thekkumkara, Punnamparambu, Viruppaka, Karumathra, Panangattukara, Manalithara and Mangalam. The Festival is a combined effort of all these desams. Come February, and every household in the village is alive with the preparations for the much awaited ‘Mamangam’. The harvest of paddy comes to an end and the sickles lie idle. The houses and courtyards get a new and fresh look to welcome the ‘Bhagavathy’. The elders in the family decide what offerings are to be made to appease the deity. The offerings are placed in measured called ‘Paras’. The thresh-hold of the houses are decorated with intricate patterns with a paste of rice powder. Arrangements are made to procure those special flowers called ‘Bhagavathy’s favourite.

The first Friday of the month of Kumbham is an auspicious day. The ‘Parappurapadu’ commences on this day and concludes on the following Tuesday, the day of the ‘Mamangam’. It is believed that the ‘Bhagavathy’ leaves the temple to visit the homes of the devotees, accepts their offerings and showers her blessings on them. Crowds of devotees throng the temple to get a glimpse of the deity and witness the ‘Parapuappadu’. The ‘Elayathu’ represents the ‘Bhagavathy’ and begins his visit to the homes of devotees. He is carried on the shoulder of ‘Eduppans’ followed by men playing the ‘Kombu’. This is another unique feature of the Mamangam’.

The horses or ‘Poikuthiras’ represent different villages and add charm to the festival. The devotees carry the dummy horses to the temple through rough paddy fields in the scorching sun, encouraged by cheering crowds; the ‘Poikuthiras’ of Manalithara village are made in the premises of the Ayyappa temple. They are wrapped up in attractive material, which render them a majestic appearance. Fireworks and cultural shows like ‘Melam’ ‘Panchavadyam’ and ‘Thayyampaka’ form an integral part of the ‘Mamangam’.

The important religious festivals here are the Ashtami Rohini (Aug-Sept), The Sukla Paksha Ekadasi (Nov-Dec), the Vishu Kani (April-May), and the 10 days Utsavam (Feb-March). Of these the Edakasi draws the largest crowd.