THRISSUR POORAM-2012- LAKHS OF PEOPLE WATCH KUDAMATTOM
Kerala's most spectacular elephant and fireworks festival, Thrissur Pooram, enthralled thousands of tourists who experienced the best of temple art and culture including colorful pageants and ensemble of percussion drums, pipes and cymbals. The city overflowed with thousands of Pooram fans, as processions began from different directions led by caparisoned elephants. The processions later converged at the sprawling Thekkinkadu maidan where the famous 'elanjithara melam' was performed in which scores of artists playing drums, pipes and cymbals lined up to play for hours on end. The pooram will culminate with its most spectacular show - the fireworks display - in the wee hours tomorrow. Braving sweltering heat, thousands, including foreign tourists, thronged the pooram grounds to witness the spectacle of 30 colourfully caparisoned tuskers lined up face-to-face. The 'kudamattam', a rare performance of display of ornamental parasols by people mounted on the elephants in quick succession, was the most colourful show of the festival. According to history, the Thrissur Pooram had its origin in 1798 through a royal edict of the then Raja Rama Varma who was popularly known as Shakthan Thampuran, a powerful ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Cochin. The edict entrusted two local temples -- Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady -- as the main sponsors of the festivities to be conducted in a competitive spirit. Keen on conducting the festival in a grand manner, the ruler ordered vast tracts of teakwood jungle around the Vadakkunnathan temple cleared to enable the public to gather in large numbers to witness the spectacle. Leading 'Pancavadyam' and 'Pandimelam' artistes performed the melam (ensemble of percussion instruments). Apart from the main poorams of the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambdy Devaswsoms, eight smaller poorams from nearby temples arrived at the Sannidhanam of the Pooram famous Vadakkunnathan temple, popularly known as the Southern Benares.
As many as 62 people were injured when an elephant ran amok during the ‘Upacharam Chollal,' the farewell ceremony of the Thrissur Pooram, at Thekkinkadu Maidan on Wednesday2nd May, 2012. The condition of an injured woman is stated to be critical. The elephant, Unnippillil Kalidasan, paraded for the Paramekkavu Devaswom, went berserk around 12.15 p.m., triggering panic at the Pooram venue for more than an hour. Thousands of people, including women and children, ran helter-skelter. Children and elderly people were injured in the melee. Udhaya, 40, suffered serious injuries in the stomach when the elephant attacked her. She underwent an emergency surgery at a private hospital here. The other injured were undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the city. Two youths atop the tusker fell down but had a narrow escape, according to eyewitnesses. The elephant first ran from the South Gopura Nada of the Sree Vadakkunnathan temple to the West Gopura Nada through the Tekkinkadu Maidan and then moved to the Swaraj Round. Mahouts' efforts to pacify the animal went in vain. It was brought under control with a capture belt around 1.15 p.m. Collector P.M. Francis said the Revenue Divisional Officer would investigate the incident and submit a report. The Devaswom would bear the medical expenses of the injured. The ceremonies were temporarily stopped. The Thrissur-based Heritage Animal Task Force, in a memorandum to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Wildlife Warden, sought action against those who violated guidelines for parading elephants for the festival. The memorandum said the elephant was paraded for the Pooram without the permission of the Forest Department and the Elephant Squad. The elephant was in ‘musth' till last Thursday, the task force alleged. Prof. John Kurakar
No comments:
Post a Comment