Chinakkathoor Pooram Festival in Kerala

The festival of elephant processions

The Chinakkathoor Pooram is celebrated in south India in Kerala. It is an elephant pageant or procession that is held every year at the holy Sree Chinakkathoor Bhagavathy Temple. The temple is located at Palappuram in the Palakkad district in Kerala in South India. A humongous procession of 27 decorated and adorned majestic elephants are the main and famous highlight of the entire festival. The Chinakkathoor Pooram festival is celebrated in the Kumbham month in accordance to the Malayalam calendar falling on the months of March or April of every year.

An overview of the festival:

The local inhabitants of the place perform various traditional art forms like the Vellattu, Theyyam, Poothanum Thirayum, Kaalavela, Kuthiravela, Aandi Vedan, and Karivela and many such more traditional rituals and forms on the Panchavadyam which is also known as the temple orchestra. The Tholpavakoothu, which is a popular ritualistic show of puppetry, is performed at the premises of the temple every evening. This show continues for 17 days before the festival comes to an end which is known as the pooram. There can be seen sixteen magnificent and decorated models of the kuthira known as the horse and eight kaala known as the bulls that are brought ceremoniously to the temple by the devotees in a marvelous procession. in all government offices and educational institutions of Ottapalam municipality and the Lakkidi-Perur-I grama panchayat, the District Collector declares A general holiday.

The Chinakkathoor Bhagavathy Temple has one of the most unique and colorful temple festivals in Kerala. this festival is attended by hundreds of people from all corners every year. It is celebrated on the Makam asterism in the month of Kumbham according to the Malayalam calendar. The festival showcases one of the best folk performances of Kerala. There are majestic elephants that march through the streets and is considered to be one of the best among the various sights that are seen during the pooram festival. The festival is further highlighted by the panchavadyam and pandimelam , which is the traditional orchestra of the place. performances like Pulikali can also be witnessed along with the constant beat of drums heard during the entirety of the festival. People belonging to all religions and castes come together as one to celebrate this great occasion every year.

The Chettikulangara Devi Temple:

Kerala is home to one of the most famous temples, the Chettikkulangara Sree Bhagavathi temple. The deity that resides there is known as Bhadrakali. She was known to be an incarnation of the goddess Shakti who herself was born from the third eye of Lord Shiva. Bhadra means good and Kali means the goddess of time and therefore, she is worshipped for prosperity and salvation. The goddess Shakti is synonymous with words like creator, protector, destructor, nature and power.

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