| Thrissur Pooram | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Thrissur Pooram (Malayalam) |
| Type | Temple Festival/Indian festival |
| Significance | On Pooram |
| Date | Pooram Nakshatra in the month of medam |
| 2011 date | April 23 |
| Observances | Temple Festival, Kuda Matam, ilanjithara melam, elephant show, vellamadi |
Pooram (malayalam:പൂരം, pronounced [puːɾam]) is an annual temple festival held in central Kerala (Thrissur, Ernakulam, Palakkad, parts of Malappuram) after the summer harvest. Most pooram festivals have at least one ornately decorated elephant being paraded in the procession taken out of the temple precincts. However, there are some, such as Aryankavu Pooram near Shoranur and Machattu Thiruvanikavu Vela near Wadakkanchery that do not use the caparisoned elephant, instead go for stilted mannequins of horses or bullocks. The most famous of all Poorams is the Thrissur Pooram. Some other well-known pooram festivals are Kollam pooram, Arattupuzha-Peruvanam Pooram, Nenmara Vallangi Vela, Uthralikavu Pooram and Chinakkathoor Pooram.
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A melam is a classical performance of different kind of musical instruments that are unique to Kerala and is something akin to the jazz. The most traditional of all melams is called Pandi Melam which is generally performed outside the temple, during the festival. Another kind of melam is called Panchari Melam, which is similar to Pandi Melam going by the kind of instruments, but played inside the temple and following a different rhythmic beat.
Panchavadyam (pancha in Sanskrit means five) is another classical musical ensemble performed in Kerala. Here, five different kinds of instruments create a breathtaking and fastmoving percussion performance. The five instruments are Madhalam, Kombu, Edakka, Elathalam and Timila.
Thayambaka is a solo Chenda (drum) performance, where the performer uses one stick and the other hand to play the instrument instead of the usual two sticks.
Interesting attractions of Pooram can be seen in the Valluvanad and Talappilly region. There is the Harijan Vela or Parayar Vela as well as the Tholpavakoothu, a traditional shadow puppetry show.