The gods and their entourage arrived for the meeting on colourfully decorated tuskers. Even today, the converging of these divine processions at the festival venue is an awe inspiring sight. The pooram draws to a close with mind-blowing fireworks displays in the evening and in the wee hours of the next morning.

Celebrated Malayalam month of Medom (April-May) in every year.it consists of processions of richly caparisoned elephants from various neigbouring temples to the Vadakunnatha temple, Thrissur. The most impressions are those from the Krishna temple at Thiruvambadi and the Devi temple at Paramekkavu. Pooram is an assemblage of suburban deities before the presiding deity at the Siva temple in down town Thrissur. The Pooram celebration is held at the Thekkinkadu grounds.

Thrissurpooram was introduced by Sakthan Thampuran (1775- 1790), , the Maharaja of erstwhile Kochi state. The Pooram festival is also well-known for the magnificent display of fireworks. It is celebrated by two rival groups representing the two divisions of Thrissur Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi vying with each other in making the display of fireworks grander and more colourful. Each group is allowed to display a maximum of fifteen elephants and all efforts are made by each party to secure the best elephants in South India and the most artistic parasols, several kind which are raised on the elephants during the display. The commissioning of elephants and parasols is done in the utmost secrecy by each party to excel the other. Commencing in the early hours of the morning, the celebrations last till the break of dawn, the next day.

Of the rival groups participating in the Pooram, the most important ones are those from Pramekkavu and Thiruvambadi. At the close of the Pooram both these groups enter the temple through the western gate and come out through the southern gate to array themselves, face to face, one from the round and other form the Municipal Office road. This spectacle is highly enchanting. Although this grand festival is known as Thrissur Pooram, it is in fact the conclusion of the eight -day Utsavam of nine temples.The procession of the Thiruvambadi Pooram to the grounds of Vadakkunnatha Temple and back is not only important, but also quite enlivening. The marvelous as well as magical effect of the Panchavadyam, a combination of five percussion and wind instruments, is to be felt and enjoyed.

The participant poorams are divided into two parts namely “Paramekkavu side” and “Thiruvambady side”. The Paramekkavu side consists of besides “Paramekkavu Bagavathy

The night route is different since except panemukkumpilly no participant pooram enters to Vadakumnathan. Paramekkavu, karamukku, kanimangalam enters through “Manikandanal. Ayyanthole, laloor, neithalkavu, chhorakottukavu enters through Naduvilal while Thiruvambady and Chembookavu through naickanal But all poorams conclude at “Nilapaduthara” near western goupuram

The Paramekkavu & Thiruvambady stops their pooram for fire works at their pandals at manikandal and Naickanal at 3.00 am .these poorams starts at8.00am from respective pandals and concludes at Sreemoolasthanam at 12noon

The pooram starts with the ceremonial entrance of “Kanimangalam Sastha” pooram through the southern goupuram at 7 pm. The sastha normally charterised as the guardian of pooram enters Sree Vadakumnathan premise with 7 caparisoned elephants and nadapady ..The kanimangalam pooram is the only other pooram which is allowed to perform Melam/vadhyam in side the compound wall other than “Paramekkavu” .The pandimelam starts in front of Elinjithara and finishes at in front of western goupuram

This is followed by the arrival of Panamukkampilly Sathavu, Chembookavu Karthiayani Devi. Karamukku Karthiyani Devi, Choorakkottukavu Durga Devi, Ayyanthole Karthiayani Devi,and Naithalakavu Bhagavathi .

The pooram day: The temple opens at 04 am after the routine poojas, Arattu at 6.00 am and other rituals connected to pooram, “nadakkal para” starts. At 12.30 noon Devi comes out and the famous “purappadu” starts with 15 elephants. The melam starts with “Chempada” (longest in duration and magnificent in performance) during these Kudamattam will be performed. The pandy will start at 2.00pm and the procession moves to “Vadakumnathan for the thrilling “elingithataramelam” .At 4.30 pm the melam concludes and the procession exits through southern gopuram “thripuda” melam will accompany the procession. The procession will face the southern gopuram stationing at the round after paying homage to the statue of Maharaja” .Meanwhile “thripuda will conclude after kombhupattu, and kuzalpattu “Panchari” will start. At 5.30 pm Thiruvambady bhagavathi will start decenting and the “Devine Durbar” will start with kudamattam.The greatest show on earth concludes at 6.45 pm and Devi returns to temple with “Nadaswaram”.

Night pooram stats at 10.30 pm with 5 elephants with “Panchavadhyam”.The pooram moves through round west and round south and ends at Manikandanal pandal at 2.30 am.

After the fire works day pooram starts at 7.30am and moves to Sreemoolasthanam with 15 elephants .Another thrilling experience with “pandy melam” and kudamattam pooram concludes at 11.30 am. After the touching farewell with Thiruvambady bhagavathi Paramekkavu Bhagavathi returns with jubilant crowd to abode.

After “parayeduppu” and arattu at “pandijarchira” (western pond) Devi returns to temple and will be received with pandy melam. After kodical pooram Devi takes rest with uttrampattu.

The temple opens at 3.00 am after routine poojas and "usha Seeveli" the “nadakkal para starts”. At 7.30 am Devi starts for pooram with Lord Krishna’s “kolam”and devi’s thidambhu.The ensemble moves through shoranur road naickanal,Naduvilal and old nadakavu to Brahmasom Madhom. After erakkipooja the pooram starts with 3 elephants and “ Panchavadhyam”. This famous “madathil varavu”will starts at 11.30 and will play 2 thalavattom in 3 kalams which will be spread over 100 mts. The pooram will enter the western round through pazhayanadakkavu and 4 more elephants join .the sweet and splendid Panchavadhyam will conclude at Naickanal pandal at 3-0 clock. The procession will move to “sree moolasthanam”with 15 elephants and “ pandy melam”.The melam concludes at 5.00pm and enters to Vadakumnathan temple. The famous Divine durbar will starts at 5.30 pm facing the Paramekkavu bhagavathi in front of the southern gopuram..After the “ kudamattam” and homage to the statue of kochi raja bhagavathi moves to “Madhom” for “ irakky pooja”.

The night pooram starts at 11.30 pm with panchavadhyam and ends at naickanal pandal at2.30 am . Devi watches the “ fire works from 3.00 am to 6.00 am and starts the procession at 8.00 am to vadakunnathan with “pandy melam”. The pooram concludes at 12noon After the fare well devi returns. In the evening devi takes holy dip at padijare chira and returns the temple at 7.pm. After “kodikuthu” the pooram concludes.

The large number of beautifully caparisoned elephants with multi coloured parasols accompanies by “Panchavadyam” and Pandimelam (Temple instrumental music) and fire works are the main attractions of the Festival. Through the electronic media, its fame has reached all over India and beyond its boundaries, attracting people to flock to Thrissur town to have a glimpse of the pageantry. It is not only Hindus who participate in this festival. Literally Thrissur Town converted into an ocean of humanity of all colour, caste and creed. All houses, shops, temple gopurams are colorfully decorated and illuminated.