Thrissur: Creating wonders of sound, music and colour on the ground and in the skies, Thrissur Pooram on Wednesday mesmerised tens of thousands of spectators from across the country and abroad.
It started with eight small poorams from different temples in and around the town arriving at Vadakkumnathan Temple situated in the centre of Thekkinkkad Maidan at the heart of the city in the morning.
Major participants Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswoms set off for Madathil Varavu and pooram ‘ezhunallippu’ respectively.
They served Pooram buffs a visual treat of percussion, parade of caparisoned elephants with colourful parasols and raising beats of pandi melams and panchavadhyams.
The ‘melams’ taken out with the accompaniment of caparisoned elephants donning ‘nettipattams’ on their forehead of the constituent ‘cherupoorams’ set the tone for the major events of percussion like Madathil Varavu Panchavadyam of Thiruvambadi Devaswom led by Kongad Madhu which was taken over by melam maestro Kizhakoot Aniyan Marar for the Devaswom which culminated at Sree Moolasthanam of Vadakkumnathan Temple.
Keeping alive the centuries-old tradition, by 8 3.0 a.m., the Thiruvambadi Bhagavathi started its journey atop an elephant to Naduvil Madom, situated west of Thekkinkkad Maidan.
After the ‘erakki ezhunallippu’ at the Madom, at 11 a.m., the much-awaited treat of panchavadyam led by Kongadu on thimila began with Madathil Varavu ceremony.
Meanwhile, the team of percussionist led by maestro Padmasree Peruvanam Kuttan Marar started playing ‘chembada’ on ‘chenda’ in front of Paramekkavu Temple for the ‘ezhunallippu’ of the Paramekkavu Bhagavathy.
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 in Naduvilal.
By 2.30 p.m., several hundreds of percussion enthusiasts crowed 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’ for the 20th time for Thrissur Pooram, along with nearly 300 percussionists played on his chenda invoking the real spirit of pooram.
Through the ups and downs of the beating of ‘chendas’ the audience got charged up with the ‘thalam’ throwing their arms in the frenzy. The melam ended at 4. 30 pm. The ‘melam’ of Thiruvambadi was held simultaneously outside Vadakkumnathan at Sree Moolasthanam.
Percussion maestro Parakkad Thankappan led the panchavadhyam of Paramekkavu during the procession at night with hundreds of enthusiasts turning up. The most colourful event of the pooram spectacle, Kudamattam, was held from 6.15 p.m. till 7 p.m.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan attended the event. The grand fireworks and pyrotechnics are expected at 3 am on Thursday. With the 'Upacharam Cholli Piriyal' (bidding farewell), the 36-hour-long pooram extravaganza will conclude at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday.
