Kerala tourism Guide

Sakthan Thampuran separated the temples around Vadakkumnathan into Western group and Eastern group and invited them with their deities to Thrissur to pay obeisance to Lord Vadakkunnathan. The western group known as Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna temple which includes temples like Kanimangalam, Laloor, Ayyanthole and Nethilakkavu and eastern group called as Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple consisting of Karamukku, Chembukavu, Choorakottukavu and Panamukkamppilly temples. The celebration starts with the procession of fifteen caparisoned elephants from Thiruvambadi temple carrying the idol of Lord Krishna and another fifteen caparisoned elephants from Paramekavu Bhagavathy temple carrying the idol of the Goddess. These two groups will stand facing each other in front of the Vadakkumnathan Temple and the Elanchithara Melam starts which lasts for three hours and the artists play the instruments in a competitive spirit. Then people with decorated umbrellas and Venchamarams take their positions on top of the festival and starts the competition called Kudamattom. They will keep interchanging the umbrellas aesthetically as per the rhythm to the music. After the idols return to their respective temples the ground is lit up and there will be a spectacular fireworks display competition between Paramekkavu and Tiruvuvampadi competing with each other to make their displays grander than the other.