Kerala - Thrissur   

‘Dancing horses' lend colour to festival

FESTIVAL TIME: Poikuthiras (hobby horses) being brought for Machad Mamangam, the annual festival at the Thiruvanikkavu temple at Machad, near Wadakkanchery, on Tuesday.

Thrissur: Machad Mamangam, one of the important festivals of Central Kerala, was celebrated at Thiruvanikkavu temple on Tuesday.

Known as ‘Thiruvanikkavu kuthira vela' in local parlance, the festival becomes unique as ‘poikuthiras' (hobby horses) are featured in the festival instead of caparisoned elephants.

Processions carrying huge ‘poikuthiras' lent colour to the festival held at Machad, 4 km from Wadakkanchery. The festival ceremonies, performed in the backdrop of paddy fields located between Vazhani hills and Wadakkanchery town, invoked the charm of rural Thrissur.

Thekkumkara desam led this year's celebrations. Five neighbouring desams – Viruppakka, Karumathra, Manalithara, Mangalam and Parlikkad – participated in the festival in a competitive but harmonious way.

Each desam came to the temple with its own huge ‘poikuthira' embellished with silk clothes and twinkling ornaments. These horses are considered to be the offerings to the Goddess.

Carried by youth, the horses reached the temple by 2.15 p.m.

Panchavadyam, led by Chottanikkara Vaijayan Marar, enthralled the crowd. Kizhakoot Aniyan Marar and group performed Melam.

It was followed by ‘Kuthirakali' (dance of the horses) to the elation of the frenzied crowd. People threw the hobby horses up in the air and caught them as they fell.

Display of fireworks and staging of folk art forms such as poothankali, thirayattam and vela of Dalits attracted many. ‘Tholpavakoothu' is staged for a week at the temple after Mamangam.

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