Celebrations and temples at Thrissur

During my childhood, during Vishu or Onam, in those days, we made THRIKKAKARAPPANS and MATHEVAR with clay and prayed to them. The icons were usually made by Narayanan Nair. Daily morning pooja for four days. We would all eagerly await pulikali on the 4th Onam. Of course, we children enjoyed Onam season especially due to school holidays, usually 9 days. Quarterly exams were sometimes before Onam or sometimes after. We preferred to have the exams before, for enjoying the Onam vacations. 

In Thrissur, we had not only Pooram, Mandalakaalam also was important. In both Thiruvambady and Paramekav - there were vela kalamezhuthu and velichappad thullal in the evening and Thayambaka. I enjoyed Thayambaka. Finally after the 41 days of Mandala kalam, there would be a procession with Elephants - Ezhunnallath called VELA - a mini pooram - mainly at night.

Balagopalachettan rarely joined Chechi and me for playing. The other brothers were too senior. I have seen Ettan and Sreechettan fighting once or twice - but all very momentary. Sreechettan and Ramankutty chettan were our Durvasamar - getting angry instantly for silly reasons! Balachettan and Machettan were cool, and so too Appuchettan. Once, I have seen Ramuttyettan getting angry and shouting at Mother for no reason. Once, when Rajappachettan was staying in our south padippura, Ramuttyettan asked him something, we didn't know what happened, but Ramuttyettan started to shout and run after Rajappachettan who was frightened like a mouse. After some time, everything was normal - a real Durvasa performance.

Sivarathri at Vadakkunnathan temple is famous and grand. This temple doesn't close in the night as the poojas go on and on. Thrissur has 5 Shiva temples and that gave this name to Thrissivaperoor. On Sivarathri night, all these temples send their Moorthies on elephants as Ezhunnallathu (procession) to Vadakkunnatha temple. There are other Shiva temples too, around Thrissur. They also join this celebration. So that night, there is a mini pooram. In the evening, there would be a million small oil lamps burning in the temple on the walls and on the ground - a real heavenly sight.

Thriprayar temple is dedicated to Sri Ramaswami. Meenootu and kathina vedi are favourite offerings there. Mother had promised 101 vedi after I passed MBBS. There is water in front of temple and lots of fish there. So meenootu is an offering there. I am not sure whether it is a river or backwaters. For Aarattupuzha pooram, the main deity in the middle is Thriprayar Thevar. His Thidambu crosses the river to go to Aarattupuzha, which is known as pooram purappatu.

Sri Rama's brother's Prathishtha in Irinjalakkuta - Bharathan. Ulsavam (temple festival) there is as famous as Thrissur pooram. Kodungallur Bhagavathi is Supreme Shakthi in Kaali form. Urakathamma is again Shakthi in Amma Thiruvati form. These are some of the temples nearby.

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