Thrissur: Thrissur pooram is all about tradition, precision and the effect they have on the countless devotees and pooram buffs. And the annual ritual, started in 1798, was no different this time, too. Keeping the centuries-old Pooram traditions alive, the Thiruvambadi Bhagavathi started her journey atop an elephant to Naduvil Madom, situated west of Thekkinkkad Maidan, by 7 3.0 a.m.
After the ‘erakki ezhunallippu’ at the Madom, the much awaited treat of panchavadyam led by Annamanada Parameswara Marar began at the pooram venue at 11 a.m. Meanwhile, the team of percussionist led by maestro Padmasree Peruvanam Kuttan Marar started playing ‘chembada’ on ‘chenda’ in front of Pramekkavu Temple for the ‘ezhunallippu’ of the Bhagavathi.
Creating a magical symphony on ‘thimila’ ‘maddalam’, ‘kombu’, ‘elathalam’ and ‘kuzhal’ the Madathil Varavu panchavadyam ended at 2 p.m. at the specially set up pandal at Naduvilal. By 2.30 p.m. several hundreds of percussion enthusiasts crowded the pandal set up for conducting Ilanjithara Melam of Paramekkavu near the western entrance tower of Vadakkumnathan temple. Starting with ‘pathithalam’ and ending in ‘adichu kalasam’, Peruvanam, who led the ‘pandi melam’ of Thrissur Pooram for more than one-and-a-half decades along with nearly 300 percussionists, played evoking the real spirit of pooram.
Through the ups and downs of the beating of ‘chendas’ the audience got charged up with and in the frenzy threw their arms in air with the mounting ‘thalam’. The melam ended at 4. 30 p.m. The ‘melam’ of Thiruvambadi was held simultaneously outside Vadakkumanthan led by Kizhakoottu Aniyan Marar.
At the ‘Kudamattam’, the changing of sequined parasols, the most colourful event of the pooram held at 5.30 p.m., nearly 80 sets of umbrellas were raised atop elephants by both Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu devasowms after lining up a total of 30 caparisoned elephants in two sets against each other for nearly one-and-a-half hours.
