Thrissur (Kerala): Kerala is celebrating Thrissur Pooram on Sunday. It is one of the biggest temple festivals in the state.
The two-century-old festival is also known as Thrissur Pooram named after the place where it is held.
Pooram is marked by a spectacular procession of elephants and percussion performances called panja-vadiam. Close to 200 artists will take part in the festival this year.
Thrissur Pooram is the most colourful temple festival of Kerala and attracts large masses of devotees and spectators from all parts of the state and even outside.
Celebrated in the month of Medom, (April-May) it consists of processions of richly caparisoned elephants from various neighbouring temples to the Vadakumnathan temple, Thrissur.
The most impressive processions are those from the Krishna Temple at Thiruvambadi and the Devi Temple at Paramekkavu.
This festival was introduced by Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of the erstwhile Cochin state.
The pooram festival is also well known for the magnificent display of fireworks. Fire works start in the early hours and the dazzling display last three to four hours.
The Pooram Festival is celebrated by two rival groups representing the two divisions of Thrissur Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi vying with each other in making the display of fireworks grander and more colourful.
Each group is allowed to display a maximum of fifteen elephants and all efforts are made by each party to secure the best elephants in South India and the most artistic parasols, several kinds of which are raised on the elephants during the display.
Commencing in the early hours of the morning, the celebrations last till the break of dawn, the next day.
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