By IANS
Thrissur (Kerala) : The weeklong celebration of Thrissur Pooram, one of Kerala’s most popular festivals, began with the hoisting of flags at two temples here Thursday. The celebration will culminate on Pooram Day April 16.
The temple festival is marked by spectacular procession of caparisoned elephants and enthralling percussion performance.
Ceremonial flag hoisting at the two main participating temples of Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu took place at forenoon Thursday.
Celebrated in the Malayalam month Medam (April/May), the two-century old festival was introduced by Rama Varma Maharaja of the erstwhile Cochin state.
The festival is also one of the major tourist attractions in the state.
“This year we are expecting more than 200 tourists for the festival,” said Jackson Chacko, the information officer with District Tourism Promotion Council here.