Thrissur Pooram

Pooram is an annual festival celebrated by temples across Kerala. These festivals are dedicated to Hindu gods / goddesses. The grandest and most famous of the poorams is the one held in the cultural capital of Kerala - Thrissur.

This blog contains 20 photos from the 2017 festival.

Location : Thrissur District, Kerala.

Photos shot in May 2017.

All photos © S Srikant.

Elephants carrying the deity Thiruvambady Bhagavathy at a traffic intersection in Thrissur.

Women making offerings of paddy during the procession of Thiruvambady Bhagavathy.

The elephants getting showered by flower petals in Thrissur.

Caparisoned elephants lined-up during a mini pooram in Thekkinkadu Maidan, Thrissur.

People waving and swaying to the beats of chenda melam (chenda orchestra) before the western entrance of Vadakkumnathan Temple, Thrissur.

Men holding aloft venchamaram (royal fans) and aalavattam (ornamental fans made of peacock feathers) on elephants.

People wave balloons as they appreciate the chenda melam (chenda orchestra).

Men on elephants swing venchamaram (royal fans) as others hold aalavattam (ornamental fans made of peacock feathers) in the back.

Volunteers from the Thrissur-based organisation Sevabharathi providing drinking water to the public in front of the western entrance of Vadakkumnathan Temple.

Chenda melam in front of the entrance of Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple in Thrissur.

Amid huge cheers, the head elephant of the Paramekkavu group emerges out of the southern entrance of Vadakkumnathan Temple, Thrissur for kudamattam (changing of umbrellas).

Kudamattam (changing of umbrellas) going on as blue ones get folded and replaced by orange ones. This is done as quickly as possible.

A pappan (elephant keeper) watches his elephant toss a juicy vegetable in its mouth.

A artiste plays the kuzhal.

A youth revels in the occasion.

The chenda melam (chenda orchestra) goes full swing!

The hands of people convey their rocking mood.

A man blasts an explosive near Vadakkumnathan Temple, Thrissur.

Tuskers spraying themselves with water from a tank near Vadakkumnathan Temple, Thrissur.

An elephant returns home carrying a bunch of palm leaves, in Thrissur.