Thrissur Pooram being held amid Covid-19 surge triggers health concerns, row

The decision of the Kerala government to allow Thrissur Pooram, a major temple festival of Kerala that draws thousands of people, has triggered a row with the health authorities expressing serious concerns in view of the fresh Covid-19 surge in the state.

Parading of elephants and fireworks are the major attraction of the Thrissur Pooram held at the Thekkinkadu ground premises of the Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur town. This year's event is scheduled to be held on April 23.

District Medical Officer K J Reena has said that she had brought to the attention of the government the high risk involved in allowing a huge gathering for the Thrissur Pooram as it could lead to the spread of the coronavirus. She also said that she was hopeful that the government would reconsider its decision.

The Thrissur district administration was also learnt to have urged the state chief secretary to convene a meeting of all stake holders.

With the representatives of the Devaswoms participating in the Thrissur Pooram raising strong objections against these moves, Kerala agriculture minister V S Sunilkumar, who is the MLA of Thrissur, said that there was no question of putting off the event. However, restrictions would be imposed on the number of participants, he said.

Last year the Thrissur Pooram was limited only to rituals owing to Covid-19. Most temple festivals of Kerala were also put off.

But now, all temple festivals are being allowed. Owners of captive elephants were also learnt to have put pressure on the government to allow temple festivals as they used to generate revenue from parading elephants for temple festivals.

Thrissur Pooram is often referred to as the mother of all temple festivals in Kerala. It was called off only on a few occasions like Mahatma Gandhi's assassination and the India-China war. The last time the festival was called off was in the 1960s owing to some dispute among the organisers.