Thrissur: The stage is set for "Thrissur Pooram", the festival of festivals, which will culminate in a grand spectacle of fireworks in the wee hours of May 11 after day and night carnival of colourful pageantries, parade of caparisoned tuskers and profuse display of the best in Kerala temple art traditions starting from May 10 morning.

Dating back to two centuries, the Pooram spirit takes off with the convergence of procession from eight temples in and around at the famous Vadakkumnathan temple located on a hillock in the heart of the city.

The splendour and splurge of the festival become a virtual treat to eyes and ears when the competing sides - Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi devaswoms - line up face-to-face with their caparisoned elephants exhibiting colourful umbrellas to be changed in quick succession amidst ear-dinning beat of percussion instruments. The spectacle showcasing 15 elephants on each side is known as "kudamattam" or change of parasols.

The Pooram, drawing a large crowd from far and wide cutting across religious and regional barriers, was started in 1798 through a royal proclamation by Prince Raja Rama Varma - popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran - of erstwhile Kochi state.

From early morning on, small Pooram processions bearing deities of eight temples atop elephants would start wending their way to Vadakkumanathan temple, with devotees thronging the way to offer worship.

The first to start is Kanimangalam, followed by Chembukkavu, Karamukku, Laloor, Choorakkottukavu, Ayyanthole and Neyithalakkavu.

The "panchavadyam" - featuring percussion instruments like chenda, timila and maddalam alongwith cymbals and horn trumpets - and "elanjithara melam" performed at different stages of Pooram are always rated as the best by connoisseurs of temple art.

The Pooram hits its finale in a scintillating display of fireworks. Known as "vedikettu" in local parlance, the Pooram pyrotechnic has been described as "a wonder in the sky" as the stiffly competing Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu sides hold the spectators spellbound for hours on end.

Adding a commercial dimension to the festivities, a 45-day exhibition-cum-fair is also organised in the city during the Pooram since 1946.

According to organisers, over five lakh people witnessed the Pooram festival last year.

PTI