
The Thrissur ''Pooram'' is an annual Hindu
temple festival held in
Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
,
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. It is held at the
Vadakkunnathan Temple in
Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
every year on the ''
Pooram'' day—the day when the moon rises with the ''Pooram'' star in the
Malayalam Calendar
The Malayalam Calendar, or the Kollam Era (), is a sidereal solar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, commemorating the establishment of Kollam.
There are many theories regarding the origin of t ...
month of ''Medam''. It is the largest and most famous of all poorams in India.
[Melton, J. Gordon]
''Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations Vol. I''
ABC-CLIO, 2011, p. 700. Thrissur pooram is also one of the largest festivals in Asia with more than 1 million visitors. The
Thrissur ''Pooram'' Exhibition is conducted over a period of 40 to 50 days during the Thrissur Pooram.
History

Thrissur Pooram (തൃശ്ശൂര് പൂരം) was the brainchild of
Sakthan Thampuran
Rama Varma Kunji Pillai Thampuran (1751–1805), or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran (''Sakthan'' meaning powerful), was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin. The current southern Indian city of Kochi was part of the erstwhile ...
, the
Maharaja of Cochin
The kingdom of Cochin or the Cochin State, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It originated in the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until i ...
(1790–1805). Before the start of Thrissur Pooram, the largest temple festival in
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
was the one-day festival held at Aarattupuzha known as
Arattupuzha Pooram. Temples in and around the city of Thrissur were regular participants. In the year 1796 because of incessant rains, the temples from Thrissur Groups (Paramekkavu, Thiruvambadi, Chempukkavu, Karamukku, Lalur, Ayyanthol, Chakkulathukavu, Neythalakavu and Kanimangalam Temples) were late for the Arattupuzha Pooram and were denied access to the Pooram procession. Feeling embarrassed and angered by the denial, the banned temple groups complained to Sakthan Thampuran.
[“Thrissur Pooram's Origin: The Amazing Story behind the Iconic Festival.�]
/ref> he decided to challenge the ban by starting Thrissur Pooram on the Pooram day in the month of May in the same year as a mass festival. He invited temples with their deities to the city of Thrissur to pay obeisance to Vadakkunnathan (Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
), the presiding deity of the Vadakkunnathan Temple. Something unique about this festival is that everything used in the festival is made fresh every year from scratch. There are people who are given the duty to craft the umbrellas and the nettipattam.
Participants
Sakthan Thampuran
Rama Varma Kunji Pillai Thampuran (1751–1805), or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran (''Sakthan'' meaning powerful), was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin. The current southern Indian city of Kochi was part of the erstwhile ...
ordained the temples into two groups, namely "Paramekkavu side" and "Thiruvambady side". These are headed by the principal participants, Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple
Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple is one of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala located in Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarter ...
at Thrissur Swaraj Round and Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple at Shoranur road.
Western Group (Thiruvambady side)
* Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
* Laloor Bhagavathy Temple
* Ayyanthole Karthyayani Temple
* Neythalakkavu Bhagavathy Temple
Eastern Group (Paramekkavu side)
* Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple
* Chembukkavu Bhagavathy Temple
* Panamukkumpally Sastha Temple
* Choorakkottukavu Bhagavathy Temple
* Pookattikkara - Karamukku Bhagavathy Temple
* Kanimangalam Sastha temple
The Pooram is centered on the Vadakkunnathan Temple, with all these temples sending their processions to pay obeisance to the Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
, the presiding deity. The Thampuran is believed to have chalked out the program and the main events of the Thrissur Pooram festival.
Flag Hoisting
The pooram officially begins from the event of flag hoisting (കൊടിയേറ്റം). The flag hosting ceremony (Kodiyettam) begins seven days before Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
Pooram. All the participating temples of Thrissur Pooram are present for the ceremony, and there is a light fireworks display to announce the commencement of the festival.
Poora Vilambharam
Poora Vilambaram is a custom where the elephant pushes open the south entrance gate at 12 PM
of the Vadakkunnathan Temple, which hosts the Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
Pooram, with the idol of 'Neithilakkavilamma' atop it.
Ernakulam Sivakumar has ceremoniously opened the thekke gopura nada (South Gate) of the Vadakkunnathan temple in the years 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Another prominent elephant who has had the honour of opening the gate in the past is Thechikottukavu Ramachandran.
Display of fireworks (first round)
The first round of pyrotechnics, known as ''Sample Vedikettu'', happens on the fourth day after the flag hoisting of the Pooram. It is a one-hour show presented by Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms. Swaraj Round is the venue for this fireworks and starts at 7:15 pm. The display usually has innovative patterns and varieties of fireworks. Even though there were several controversies, permission was granted to conduct Thrissur Pooram in 2017
Display of caparisons
The golden elephant caparison
A caparison is a cloth covering laid over a horse or other animal for protection and decoration. In modern times, they are used mainly in parades and for historical reenactments. A similar term is horse-trapper. The word is derived from the Lat ...
(''Nettipattam''), elephant accoutrements (''Chamayam''), ornamental fan made of peacock feathers (''Aalavattom''), royal fan (''Venchamarom''), sacred bells and decorative umbrellas are prepared new by Thiruvambady
Thiruvambady is a historic hill town in Kozhikode district in Kerala, India. Thiruvambady is a Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996, Panchayat headquarters, and a legislative assembly constituency, situated from west of Kozhikode. ...
and Paramekkavu Devawsoms separately. Paramekkavu Devaswom exhibits this at the Agrasala in Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
City, and the Thiruvambady Devaswom displays the caparisons at the Church Mission Society High School in Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
City on the fourth and fifth day before the Pooram. In 2014 and 2015, it was displayed in Kousthubham Hall at Shornur Road
Main pooram
On pooram day, the participants from their temples parades with music and elephants decorated with thidambu and caparisons to Srimoolasthanam of Vadakkumnathan Temple twice – in the morning and at night. Pooram day officially starts with the arrival of Kanimangalam Sastha in the early morning.
The processions of the principal participants––Thiruvambady and Parammekavu––are the most awaited and major events of the pooram.
Thiruvambady arrives to Vadakkumnathan from Brahmaswam Madham (vedic institution), with a panchavadhyam concert called "Madathil varavu", with artists numbering uppto 40 members with instruments such as thimila, madhalam, trumpet, cymbal and edakka. Paramekkavu begins its procession with a pandi melam in front of its temple at around 11:30 a.m and gradually enters the Vadakkamnuthan temple by 1:30 p.m.
At 2:00 p.m, inside the Vadakkumnathan Temple starts the "Ilanjithara melam", one of the central attractions of the pooram, consisting of drum, trumpets, pipe and cymbal.
Kudamattam
Thrissur Pooram’s grandest moment unfolded with the iconic ''Kudamattam'' ritual. Thirty caparisoned elephants — 15 each from the Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple
Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple is one of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala located in Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarter ...
and Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple stood face-to-face in ceremonial formation.
Atop these majestic elephants, parasol bearers engaged in the rapid display of ''Kudamattam'', the rhythmic switching of vividly coloured ornamental silk umbrellas. The spectacle was further elevated by the gleam of ''nettipattams'' (golden forehead ornaments), the elegant flutter of ''venchamaram'' (fans made from peacock feathers), and the regal presence of ''muthukkuda'' (decorative umbrellas).
Display of fireworks (Main Round)
Thrissur pooram main fireworks (vedikettu / വെടിക്കെട്ട് ) are well renowned all over the country. This amazing display of fireworks is held in the heart of Thrissur city, in Thekkinkadu Maidan.
Thiruvambadi and Parmekavu are the main participants in this event. The main fireworks begin in the early morning of the seventh day. Most pooram enthusiasts stay up all night to get a better view of the fireworks. People come from faraway places to watch this amazing display of pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...
. There are four major firework displays in Thrissur Pooram: the 'sample fireworks' on the day before the Pooram, the colorful sparklers that light up the sky (amittu) by both sides on the Pooram evening after the Southward Descent, the most impressive event that mark the peak of Pooram celebrations in the early morning hours, and the final fireworks the following noon after the goddesses bid farewell to each other that mark the end of the pooram.
Farewell ceremony
The seventh day of the pooram is the last day. It is also known as "Pakal Pooram" (പകല് പൂരം). For the people of Thrissur, the pooram is not only a festival but also a time for hospitality. Upacharam Cholli Piriyal (ഉപചാരം ചൊല്ലി പിരിയല്) (farewell ceremony) is the last event held at Swaraj Round. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple and Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple
Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple is one of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala located in Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarter ...
idols were taken from the Swaraj Round to their respective temples to mark the end of the Pooram celebrations. The festival ends with display of fireworks known as Pakal Vedikkettu.
Security
For the 2025 Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
Pooram festival, a 4,000-member Thrissur City Police team was deployed. The deployment included not just local police but also specialised units such as the National Disaster Response Force
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is a specialized force in India, tasked with the responsibility of responding to natural disasters, natural and man-made disasters. It operates under the National Disaster Management Authority (India) ...
(NDRF), Thunderbolt
A thunderbolt or lightning bolt is a symbolic representation of lightning when accompanied by a loud thunderclap. In Indo-European mythology, the thunderbolt was identified with the 'Sky Father'; this association is also found in later Hel ...
, and Urban Commandos. The number of closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...
cameras installed throughout the city was increased from 250 to 350 to aid in monitoring and crime prevention.
Thrissur City Police deployed a dedicated cyber team to monitor and cleanse digital platforms of potentially inflammatory content in the run-up to the Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
Pooram festival. A 20-member unit comprising officers with digital expertise was tasked with identifying and removing communal or politically charged messages that could incite unrest. This marked the first time that Kerala Police
The Kerala Police is the law enforcement agency for the Indian state of Kerala. Kerala Police has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The motto of the force is "Mridhu Bhave Dhrida Kruthye" which means "Soft in Temperament, ...
initiated such a step specifically for Pooram-related online surveillance.
Attendance
Thrissur District
Thrissur (), anglicised as Trichur, is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It is situated in the central region of the state. Spanning an area of about , th ...
Collector Arjun Pandian has stated that an estimated 18 to 20 lakh people are expected to participate in the 2025 edition of Thrissur
Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
Pooram.
The pooram has a good collection of elephants (more than 50) decorated with nettipattam (decorative golden headdress), strikingly crafted Kolam, decorative bells, and ornaments.
Cultural influences
Despite being a Hindu festival, the Thrissur Pooram is attended by different sections of Kerala society. Several replicas of the festival are held in places in Kerala as well as outside the state.
Thrissur Pooram is considered one of the greatest gatherings in Asia. It has an important place in the tourism map of India, as tourists enjoy the beauty and traditions of this pooram. Rail and bus connectivity is excellent in Thrissur, which attracts many foreign tourists to the gala. It is considered as meeting of Devas (ദേവ സംഗമം).
The Oscar-winning sound editor Resul Pookutty and his team recorded the sounds of the 36-hour festivities and made a movie '' The Sound Story''.
References
External links
All Information About Thrissur District
Thrissur Pooram Festival
Thrissur Pooram - Community Media Website
Thrissur - History
Instagram
{{Tourism in Kerala
Festivals in Thrissur district
Elephant festivals in Kerala
Hindu festivals in Kerala
March observances
April observances
May observances