Thrissur Pooram today

Thrissur: The cultural capital of Kerala is all set to celebrate Thrissur Pooram, the mother of all poo-rams, the annual temple festival that brings here spectators from across the world.

The 36-hour-long spectacle that begins on Monday with the arrival of eight cheru poorams or smaller versions to Vadakkumnathan Temple at 7.30 am will end with the Upacharam Chollal (bidding fare-well) ceremony on Tue-sday noon.

All major events like Ezhunnellippu of Paramekkavu, Madathil Var-avu, Ilanjithara Melam, Kudamattam, fireworks and pakalpooram exemplifies the grandeur of the festival with Thiru-vambadi and Param-ekkavu Devaswoms as two major participants.

The Madathilekku Va-ravu ceremony, in which thidambu, the replica of the idol of the Thiruva-mbadi Bhagavathi, is taken out in a procession from the Thiruv-ambadi Temple to Nad-uvil Madhom at Pazha-ya Nadakkavu, will be-gin at 8.30 am.

Ilanjithara Melam, one of the principal percussion ensembles of Thri-ssur Pooram, will be he-ld at the Ilanjithara in the Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple at 2 pm.

The Melam, featuring about 250 instrumentalists, will be led by maestro Peruvanam Kuttan Marar.

Later, the most attractive and colourful event in the pooram gala, Kudamattam, will begin at 5.30 pm.

Parasols of varying designs and hues will be raised atop two groups of 15 decorated elephan-ts lined up facing each other near the Southern Entrance Tower of the Vadakkumnathan Tem-ple, and the exciting co-mpetition of raising the parasols of varying col-ours by both Thiruv-ambadi and Paramekk-avu will go on till 6.30 pm.

The other prime event is the grand fireworks display at 3 am on Tue-sday that creates a spectacle of light, colour and sound on the sky above Thekkinkkad Maidan in the heart of Thrissur town.

By eight am on Tuesday, both Parame-kkavu and Thiruvam-badi will parade their 15 elephants on both the sides of the Western Entrance Tower of the Vadakkumnathan Temple and leading elephant from each side will come forward to bid farewell at the ‘Sree Moolasthanam in front of the tower, bringing down curtains on the one-and-a-half day-long fete.