Thrissur Pooram 2023: All you need to know

Thrissur: The world-famous Thrissur Pooram got off to a colourful start today. The vibrant and colourful festival is steeped in tradition and celebrated in Kerala. Due to its craze and grandeur, the event and is known as the mother of all poorams. The festival offers dazzling display of rich cultural traditions and customs, including caparisoned elephants, colourful parasols, and percussion music.  

In a show of ceremonial splendour with all traditional trappings, the famed tusker in Kerala Thechikkottkavu Ramachandran carried 'thidambu' during the madathil varavu, a ceremonial procession, to the Vadakkumnathan temple. Thousands of devotees were seen waiting with bated breath to get a glimpse of 'Gajasamrat Ramachandran' in the vicinity of the temple. A delightful spectacle of pooram commenced featuring the elephant bedecked in colourful attire marching on the road.  Devotees of 10 temples took part in the event.

It was followed by colourful events at 7.30 am with khataka poorangal aka subsidiary pooram processions from nearby temples. All the colourful ceremonies like Elanjithara Melam, famous madathil varavu, Kudamatam, and Thekotirakam will be held today.  After chempada melam and ilanjithara melam, the pramekkavu and thiruvambadi groups will enter the Vadakkumnathan temple via the western gate and come out through the southern gate to assemble face-to-face in front of the temple.  

People are eagerly waiting to attend the colourful kudamattom ceremony. A number of colourful umbrellas were displayed on caparisoned elephants. The famous Pooram firework display will be held at 3 am in the morning tomorrow. The Thrissur Pooram will come to an end on Monday afternoon.