Life in Kerala, in southern India, is punctuated by annual festivals dedicated to village deities.
One such festival is called the Thrissur Pooram Elephant Festival.
Celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medom (April-May), the Thrissur Pooram is a grand assembly of Gods and Goddesses in and around Thrissur.
An idol of hindu diety, Krishna, stands in the foreground of golden caprisons, colorful fans and parasols on display [Source: EFE]
These Gods and Goddesses make their visit to the Vadakumnathan Temple premises, on elephants accompanied by grand ensembles of Chenda melam (percussion instruments) and pancha vadyam (an orchestra of five instruments).
Lord Ganesh, the hindu God of prosperity, has been characterized as having the head of an elephant. [Source: EFE]
Wisdom is represented by the elephant in the form of the deity Ganesh, one of the most popular gods in the Hindu religion's pantheon. Sometimes known as Ganesha, this deity is very distinctive in having a human form with the head of an elephant.
Aside from the commerce that comes along with the festival, any visit by the Gods is highly revered by villagers.
Thrissur Pooram was actually created in 1798 by a man named Raja Rama Varma, who supposedly created this festival because he and many of his friends were not allowed into a nearby festival because they were late. So, Varma invited temples in the Kerala region to the main temple in Thrissur to pay respects to Shiva, the presiding deity.
The festival mainly consists of processions of richly caparisoned elephants from various neigbouring temples to the Vadakunnatha temple in Thrissur [Source: EFE]
Centuries later, the Thrissur Pooram is considered to be the Mother of all Poorams, a culture highlight that towers above all other festivals. It is a festival unique in its pageantry, magnitude and participation.
It is not a mere temple festival in its stricest sense, yet at the same time it is the festival of festivals of Kerala.