The city is spruced up for the 212th year of Thrissur Pooram which falls on April 24 and the 134th year of the Feast of Saint Joseph’s Shrine at Pavaratty near Guruvayur in the district to be held the same day and the next,third Saturday and Sunday after Easter every year.
Pooram and the Feast are the two important religious and cultural events of the dstrict with the scintillating phantasmagoria of pyrotechnics display along with a grand spectacle of sound, colours, music and pageantry.
The sample fireworks display held recently in connection with Pooram was witnessed by a large number of people including foreign nationals.
A large number of people had visited the exhibition of elephants’ accoutrements organised by the Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu devaswoms, the main promoters of the Thrissur Pooram over two centuries.
Like the Pooram, a small level fireworks display in connection with the Pavaratty Feast would be held on Saturday. Minor display of fireworks would be held after the celebration of the ‘Pakal’ (day) Pooram.
This would perhaps be the first time for several years that the mega fireworks display of both the events would be held in the wee hours of Sunday, more or less the same time.
C. A. Menon, involved in arranging tours for foreign tourists in connection with Pooram and other cultural events of Kerala, told PTI that 400 foreign nationals would be arriving to witness the event this year. There was some cancellation of air tickets following the disruption of Air Service in Europe due to spread of volcano ash, he said.
Mr. Menon said about 400 foreign nationals had attended the pooram festival last year. 04231358
