Thrissur Pooram 2023: Dates, Time, Meaning, Rituals & Story

Thrissur Pooram 2023

Thrissur Pooram is an annual Malayalam celebration held at the Vaakkunnathan Shiva Temple in Thrissur. This event is celebrated on Pooram day, in the month of Medam as per the Malayalam Calendar, when the moon rises with the Pooram star. It is the largest and most renowned of India's poorams. Furthermore, Thrissur Pooram (thrissurpooram) is considered one of the greatest gatherings in Asia.

The word "Pooram" means “temple festival”. The Thrissur Pooram festival is so named because it is believed that dynastic gods and goddesses from neighboring provinces gather annually in one of the spring months for a day of celebration.

When & Where is Thrissur Pooram celebrated in 2023?

Medam 1st, 2023 falls on Vaisakha month in Hindu Calendar and April 15th as per the Gregorian Calendar. On Monday, May 1st, 2023, the Thrissur Pooram festival will be held at the Vaakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur, Kerala, West India.

Thrissur Pooram Timings:

Pooram Nakshathram Starts 3:30 PM on April 30th 2023
Pooram Nakshathram Ends 5:51 PM on May 1st 2023

Significance of Thrissur Pooram

The primary significance of this Pooram is that it offers the ideal perspective on Unity in Diversity. Even though it is a Hindu celebration, all religions will participate. A very interesting aspect of the festival is that the decorations for the celebrations were created by churches, while the pandal will be decorated by members of the Islamic community.

As here, the significance of Unity in Diversity is evident. During this festival, all surrounding villagers will congregate at a single stage to lavishly celebrate the occasion. With these massive gatherings, the villagers had a strong connection with one another in order to carry out the festival. In doing so, the festival strengthens the bonds between neighboring regions.

Keralites are highly proud of the historically widespread harmony amongst diverse religious groups in this region, nevertheless, Thrissur Pooram is also a very significant celebration for the residents of Thrissur and its surroundings for devotees of Lord Shiva who attend this festival from all throughout Kerala.

What makes Thrissur Pooram festival Unique?

The Thrissur Pooram Festival is one of Kerala's most magnificent and colorful temple festivities. It showcases a cultural fusion and creative performances of the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi groups, who compete for the finest performance.During this festival, temples from surrounding Thrissur are invited to pay tribute to Lord Vadakkunnathan, the presiding deity of the Vadakkunnathan Temple, in the city of Thrissur. A massive parade is planned on temple grounds, accompanied by Chenda Melam and Pancha Vadyam music. This Pooram celebration has almost fifty elephants adorned with different golden jewelry.The magnificent, awe-inspiring processions from Krishna Temple and Devi Temple are additional festival attractions. The day before to the last day of the festival, the groups enter the Vadakumnatha Temple by the western entrance and exit through the southern gate to march head-to-head. Caparisoned elephants and the exchange of umbrellas are breathtakingly gorgeous and mesmerizing.

The stunning fireworks displayed by the two temple groups create a tapestry-like splendor in the Thrissur sky. Panchavadyam is a combination of five percussion and wind instruments that creates enchanting music.

Also unique to this festival is the fact that everything used in the festival is made fresh and from scratch each year. People are assigned the responsibility of crafting new umbrellas and ornaments for each elephant.

The golden elephant caparison (Nettipattam), elephant paraphernalia (Chamayam), decorative fan made of peacock feathers (Aalavattom), royal fan (Venchamarom), sacred bells, and ornamental umbrellas are newly made by the Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devawsoms.

Every year, thousands of people attend the grand old festival. The fireworks, the 'Kudamattam,' and the majestic elephants are a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Story & History of Thrissur Pooram festival

This temple festival was introduced by the Maharaja of Cochin, Rama Varma Kunhjippilla Thampuran (1790-1805). Before the Thrissur Pooram festival, the largest temple festival in Kerala was the Arattupuzha Pooram, a one-day celebration celebrated 10 kilometers from Thrissur at the Arattupuzha temple. The yearly Arattupuzha Pooram was a prominent attraction in the city, with temples from surrounding Thrissur participating regularly. In 1798, the procession from Thrissur's temples was refused admittance to the Arattupuzha Pooram since they came late due to severe rainfall. The temple administrators, humiliated and enraged by the occurrence, approached Sakthan Thampuran for assistance.

Sakthan Thampuran organized the first Thrissur Pooram, which was larger and more expensive than the Arattupuzha Pooram, in the same year that he gathered together 10 temples located surrounding the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur. This marked the start of the now-iconic Thrissur Pooram festival.

Thampuran also arranged every aspect of the Pooram, including dividing the participating temples into two groups led by the Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple and the Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple. Today, after more than two hundred years, the Pooram still adheres to the structure established by the monarch.

Thrissur Pooram Celebrations

Thrissur Pooram Celebrations Thrissur Pooram date is May 1st, 2023, however the celebrations begins one week before with the raising of the flag, an event known as Kodiyettan. All the temples participating in Thrissur Pooram are present at this flag ceremony, and there are small fireworks to mark the beginning of the festival.It follows the Poora Vilambaram which is a tradition in which the elephant opens the south entrance gate of the Vadakkunnathan Temple, which hosts the Thrissur Pooram, with the 'Neithilakkavilamma' idol on top. This is followed by a colorful display of fireworks in the heart of Thrissur city."Madathil Varavu" is one of the most important events of Thrissur Pooram. It is a panchavadhyam melam in which more than 200 artists play instruments such as the thimila, madhalam, trumpet, cymbal, and edakka. The Ilanjithara melam, which begins at 2:00 p.m. inside the vadakkumnathan temple, is one of the main attractions of the pooram, consisting of drum, trumpets, pipe, and cymbal.At the conclusion of the pooram, following the Ilanjithara melam, both the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi groups enter the temple by the western entrance, exit via the southern gate, and assemble in separate locations. In the presence of melam, the two groups exchange colorful and intricately carved umbrellas atop the elephants, called Kudamattom, which is the focal point of the pooram. Afterwards, the poorams (groups) culminate at Nilapaduthara near Vadakkunnathan Temple's western gopuram.The final day of the pooram occurs on the seventh day. It is often referred to as "Pakal Pooram." The pooram is not only a celebration for the people of Thrissur, but also a time for hospitality. The closing ceremony (Upacharam Cholli Piriyal) is the final event held during Swaraj Round. After the conclusion of the Pooram festivities, the idols of the Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple and the Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple were carried from the Swaraj Round to their respective temples. The celebration concludes with a fireworks show known as Pakal Vedikkettu.

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