Trees of Thekkinkadu Maidan, the iconic staging arena of the historical Thrissur Pooram around the Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple, are in bloom.
These trees will flower without fail during the pooram time, providing a picturesque background to the mega festival. The city will be in the grip of carnival spirit as these trees flower, heralding the arrival of Pooram.
Like the various hues of colourful parasols that will be exchanged atop the caparisoned elephants for Kudamattam, flowers in these trees are in different colours ranging from yellow, violet and red.
These trees have a different look and beauty if seen from a high-rise building. They form colourful umbrellas over the city.
However, many flowers withered in the untimely rain this time.
The trees not only provide a beautiful background for pooram, but also provide shade for people from the scorching sun on pooram days.
Hundreds of birds, which nest on these trees, will fly each time when fireworks explode with sound as part of various rituals during the pooram.
The trees, which make a green cover for the Thekkinkadu maidan, is actually the oxygen plant for the city.
According to an enumeration done recently, there are 661 trees in Thekkinkadu of 93 species. Kanikkonna (Cassia fistula) is the most abundant species (65 in number). There are 48 Copperpod (Peltophorum Pterocarpum) with bright yellow flowers and 45 rain trees (Albizia saman).
Large spreading foliage of rain trees occupy maximum canopy area. There are 34 mango trees and 47 teak trees. In addition , there are 16 elengi (Mimusops elengi) and 21 mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) trees.
Among the 93 species of trees, 38 are exotic trees, 26 are ornamental/garden plants and 46 are species with medicinal values.
