One of the most colourful festivals of Kerala, Kollam Pooram is connection
with the 10 day long annual festival of the Asramam Sri Krishnaswamy Maha
Temple held in the month of April. The pooram which is organised on the
tenth day of the festival at the Asramam maidanam attracts a large crowd.
Started off as Arattu Utsavam in late 70’s, this festival shot to limelight
and came to be in the present form in 1996 after the official inauguration
of ceremony by the His Lordship, Sree Marthanda Varma.
The deities of the nearby temples partake in this festival
and on the pooram day, in the morning, these deities come on caparisoned
elephants to pay homage to the Sree Krishna deity at Ashramam. This is
known as cherupooram. The grand spectacle of the festival, Kudamattam
ceremony is carried out by late afternoon. It is a ritual in which 30
tuskers split into two groups of 15 each, representing Thamarakulam Sri
Mahaganapathi Temple team and the Puthiyakavu Bhagavathy Temple. Kudamattam
which is held to the beats of traditional melam is followed by a spectacular
fireworks display. Several cultural programs like ganamela, kathakali
etc are organised during the festive days. |