Arattupuzha
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Arattupuzha | |
|---|---|
town | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Thrissur |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | KL- |
| Nearest city | Puthukkad |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Thrissur |
| Website | www |
Arattupuzha is a village located near Puthukkad in Thrissur district of Kerala in southern India, and is home to the annual Arattupuzha Pooram that stages the grand spectacle of scores of caparisoned elephants lined up in a row to the accompaniment of ethnic percussion concerts.[1]
History
Located on the banks of the Karuvannur river, legend has it that Arattupuzha was the meeting place of all the Gods of the world until floods ravaged the area and forced some of participants to meet 14 kilometers north of the village—in the city of Thrissur. The Arattupuzha Pooram is still quite popular, even though it is much less famous than the Trichur Pooram. The Arattupuzha Pooram is commonly referred to as the "grand-daddy of all Poorams." It takes place in front of the famous Sree Sastha Temple, a temple which is believed to be more than 3,000 years old.
On the sixth day of the seven day festival at Arattupuzha temple, 61 gaily caparisoned elephants gather in the temple grounds, accompanied by the temple music of Panchavadyam, nadaswaram, pacharimelam and pandimelam.
Characters
Like many ancient villages, Arattupuzha is home to some rather flamboyant and charismatic characters. One such legend is Raman Nair, commonly referred to as the "grand old man of Arattupuzha." Raman Nair claims to be more than 108 years old, even though there is rampant speculation that he is only in his 90s. Nair was a follower of the great Madhava Menon, an iconic educator and land developer who ruled Arattupuzha with an iron fist. When Madhava Menon spoke, Arattupuzha listened. Unfortunately, Menon's descendants have not been successful in maintaining the legacy of his greatness, and the house that Menon lived in has been torn down to make way for a more modern residence that was funded through foreign contributions and inheritance money. Then there was one Sankaran Master [school head master] who was famous for his patience and good character. Another great character of Arattupuzha was Unnikuttan, a jolly fellow who specialized in Hindi translations to communicate the words of the children of Arattupuzha natives living in Northern India who felt they were "too cool" to speak Malayalam. Despite not being with us physically anymore, the spirit of Unnikuttan lives on at most of the local saloons as customers do toasts in his honor before shooting Vodka. Then there was Narayan Nair, a former chef in Madras who returned to Arattupuzha and is widely regarded for making the best chicken in town. He helped lots of yongsters who all migrated to Madras in sake of job. Not all Arattupuzha residents have made a name for themselves by staying within the city limits however. Kerala is famous for the Poorams. Thrissur pooram, Nenmara Vallanghy Vela, Chinakkathur pooram are some of the examples for the famous temple festivals celebrate in Kerala. Thrissur pooram is famous for the kudamattom and Nenmara Vallanghy Vela is famous for the vedikettu.
Participants
A total of 23 gods and goddesses take part in the pooram at arattupuzha. They are :
Arattupuzha Sastha Thriprayar Thevar Urakam Ammathiruvadi Chathakkudam Sastha Cherpu Bhagavathy Thottippal Bhagavathy Aykunnu Bhagavathy Poonilarkkavu Bhagavathy Kaduppassery Bhagavathy Pisharikkal Bhagavathy Edakkunni Bhagavathy Chalakkudi Pisharikkal Bhagavathy Thaikkattussery Bhagavathy Anthikkad Bhagavathy Choorakkode Bhagavathy Chakkamkulam Sastha Chittichathakkudam Sastha Mattil Sastha Kodannur Sastha Nettissery Sastha Kalleli Sastha Medamkulam Sastha Namkulam Sastha
Climate
Arattupuzha has a mild climate in the months of December through February until the heat kicks up in March. The monsoons hit the village hard in the months of June through September, and sparse thunderstorms can be spotted in the months of October and November.
Freeway accessibility
Arattupuzha is accessible to the NH 47 freeway via back roads that go through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Kerala. Arattupuzha is just 12 km from Trichur City limits. It is connected both to NH 47 and NH 17.
The famous Sree Sastha temple is situated at Aarattupuzha, a beautiful, quiet village located 15 km away from Thrissur town. The road that leads to this temple is 2 km towards east from Thevar Road Bus stop in Thrissur Kodungallur route. The antiquity of this temple dates back to 3000 years and the temple hosts the most ancient and the world's second oldest festival "Devamela" (a festival when all gods and goddesses assemble) at Aarattupuzha.
References
- ^ Sarina Singh (2005). India. Lonely Planet. p. 923. ISBN 1-74059-694-3.