The Hindu : Kerala News : Pooram fireworks show draws huge crowds

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Friday, Apr 22, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Pooram fireworks show draws huge crowds

Staff Reporter

Downpour stretches festivities to 40 hours

THRISSUR: Curtains came down on this year's Thrissur Pooram with a magnificent fireworks display at the historical Thekkinkadu Maidan in the heart of the city on Thursday evening.

The heavy downpour, accompanied by gales and intense lightning, on Wednesday afternoon stretched the festivities from the usual 30 hours to almost 40 hours. There were also changes in the Pooram schedule with the fireworks display, normally held in the early hours of the second day of Pooram, being delayed. Consequently, the traditional `farewell bidding rituals' and the subsequent fireworks display, which used to mark the grand finale of the Pooram festivities, became an in-between event. arlier in the morning, the two major participating Devaswoms of the festival, Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu, conducted their concluding ezhunnellippu to Vadakkunnathan Temple, from Naikkanal and Manikandanal, respectively, to the accompaniment of exciting Melams. While the Melam of the Thiruvambady side was led by Mattannur Sankarankutty, that of Paramekkavu was by Peruvanam Kuttan Marar. There were 15 caparisoned elephants each in the procession of both sides. While the elephant Sivasundaran carried the Thidambu of Thiruvambady, Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran shouldered the responsibility for Paramekkavu. A large number of people had thronged the Thekkinkadu Maidan to watch the morning ezhunnellippu of both the temples. Several parasols were exchanged during the procession by both the sides, and this in a way compensated for the abandoning of the Kudamattom ritual on Wednesday evening, following the severe rain.

The processions came to a close after reaching near the Sreemoolasthanam area at the West Gate of Sri Vadakkunnathan Temple. The ritualistic part of the Pooram concluded after the elephants bearing the `Thidambus' of both sides `bid adieu' in the traditional style near Sreemoolasthanam.

The deferred fireworks display which began at 7 p.m. drew a heavy crowd. It was the Paramekkavu side which lit the fireworks first and after its conclusion, the Thiruvambady side followed.

One dead

Late night reports said that one person died of heart attack and some others have suffered minor injuries in the commotion among the crowd during the fireworks display. A couple of people were injured when the windowpanes of a building at Marar Road were shattered in the impact of the sound of the fire-works display. The police said nine persons have been taken to the Medical College Hospital and four persons have been taken to the West Fort Hospital.

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