Arattupuzha Pooram is a popular temple festival of India.
It is held at the Arattupuzha Temple in Arattupuzha of Thrissur District. The Pooram is known as Devamela as it is a conglomeration of gods, given its massive attendance of deities from neighbourhood shrines. A total of 23 deities of various temples from different parts of Thrissur District attend the Pooram and is considered as the oldest temple festival in Indian subcontinent.
The annual festival at Arattupuzha is also termed as the mother of all pooram festivals in Kerala, due to its sheer magnitude and grandeur. Visitors from nearby and far off places reach the village of Arattupuzha during the festival days, to be part of this grand festival. The pinnacle of excitement and devotion during the seven-day festival is obviously the last two days. The evening prior to the last day of the festival would have an assembly of caparisoned elephants and staging of percussion ensembles as part of the ceremony called Sasthavinte Melam. The pancharimelam of Aarttupuzha Sasthavu is the largest assembly of percussion artists in any other night Poorams.
Photos taken by Johnson V Chirayath
