A massive crowd of enthusiastic spectators witnessed Thrissur Pooram, the feast of art, culture and tradition staged at Thekkinkad Maidan here on Thursday.
The searing summer did not prevent them from ecstatically becoming part of the procession of mighty tuskers adorned with shimmering silk and golden trappings, carrying the deities of Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu temples.
While the mighty tusker Thiruvambady Sivasundar carried the kolam of Thiruvambady desam, the lofty Kuttankulangara Arjun carried the Thidambu of Paramekkavu Bhagavathi during the main processions.
The rhythmic elanjithara melam performed by a contingent of over 300 selected artists led by Perumanam Kuttan Marrar and the hour-long divine durbar of kudamattam atop 30 mighty tuskers in the afternoon offered a fabulous mix of art, culture and tradition to the multitude.
The 36-hour cultural extravaganza concentrated on the Swaraj Round and Thekkinkad Maidan encircling the imposing Sri Vadakkunathan Temple began at 6 am on Thursday and would conclude at noon on Friday.
The most enchanting sight of the morning hours of the two-century-old festival was the procession from Thiruvambady, which emerged out from the temple at 8 am led by a parade of three tuskers through the Shoranur Road.
When the procession reached Naickanal Junction in Swaraj Round, it spread into a line of 15 elephants and moved southward to the Sreemoolasthan.
Meanwhile, the glittering procession of Paramekkavu Devi started from her abode in a procession of 15 fully-decorated tuskers at 12.30 noon. This pageant entered Sri Vadakkunathan temple through the Eastern gopuram.
The two arrays of elephants then stood facing each other for about an hour during which lakhs of people turned their eyes to see the competition of elephant accoutrements and change of silk parasols from one brilliant colour to another.
After the durbar, Paramekkavu Devi returned to her abode and Thiruvambady Devi to Brahmaswom Mathom, for an interval till the night pooram began at 10 pm again.
