Arattupuzha Festival

About this place

The Arattupuzha Festival, popularly known as Arattupuzha Pooram, is one of Kerala’s oldest and most significant temple festivals, celebrated at the Arattupuzha Sree Sastha Temple in Thrissur district. Kerala Tourism describes it as the “Mother of all Poorams” and identifies the festival as a major expression of Kerala’s temple culture, traditionally taking place in the Malayalam month of Meenam and extending over seven days. The central tradition is the Devamela, or divine assembly, in which deities from neighbouring temples ceremonially arrive at Arattupuzha to pay homage to the presiding deity, Lord Sastha. Kerala Tourism specifically records the participation of 23 deities from different temples in Thrissur, accompanied by ceremonial processions and traditional percussion. The festival's most spectacular events occur during its concluding days. The Sasthavinte Melam is held on the evening before the principal Pooram and features large percussion ensembles performing traditional forms such as Panchari Melam, Pandimelam and Panchavadyam. Caparisoned elephants, decorated with traditional ornaments and ceremonial parasols, form an important part of the processions, creating the visual spectacle for which Arattupuzha Pooram is renowned. Kerala Tourism's festival documentation describes the gathering of numerous decorated elephants in the paddy-field setting, accompanied by percussion ensembles, muthukkudas, venchamarams and traditional flame-bearing lamps known as theevetti. The Devamela is the distinctive feature that separates Arattupuzha Pooram from many other Kerala temple festivals. According to the established festival tradition, the participating deities travel from different temples in Thrissur and gather at the Sree Sastha Temple, creating a symbolic assembly of deities. The ceremony is accompanied by elephants, percussion and other temple rituals, and thousands of devotees and visitors gather to witness the proceedings. The festival concludes with the Arattu, the ceremonial bathing of the deities at Mandaram Kadavu, a river ghat near the temple. This concluding ritual forms an important part of the festival's religious observances and traditionally marks the completion of the celebrations. The festival also has a strong connection with the wider Peruvanam–Arattupuzha temple-festival tradition. Smaller and associated Poorams at nearby temples take place around the main celebration, creating a broader period of temple festivities in the region. The historical importance of Arattupuzha Pooram is also reflected in its long association with the development of Kerala's Pooram tradition, although claims about its exact age vary between sources and should therefore be treated carefully rather than assigning an unsupported precise antiquity. Kerala Tourism itself describes it as one of the oldest temple festivals in Kerala. For 2026, the festival has already taken place. A 2026 festival listing records 30 March 2026 as the date of Arattupuzha Pooram, with the celebrations featuring the Devamela, elephant processions, traditional chenda melam and Arattu. However, Kerala Tourism's current digital calendar has already moved on to the 2027 edition, listing Arattupuzha Pooram at Arattupuzha Sree Sastha Temple in March 2027 and giving 20 March 2027 as the listed date. Kerala Tourism also cautions that festival dates calculated according to the Malayalam calendar can change according to local temple customs and rituals, so its published dates should be confirmed with the local authorities. Therefore, for a 2027 visit, the currently published date is 20 March 2027, but visitors should verify the final temple programme before making travel arrangements. The detailed schedule for individual rituals, processions, Sasthavinte Melam, Devamela and Arattu should not be assumed unless officially announced. If a future year's exact date or programme has not yet been announced, it should be stated as “not yet announced; the date and programme will be published through the temple/local authorities or Kerala Tourism” rather than using an estimated date as confirmed information. Overall, Arattupuzha Pooram is a major expression of Kerala's living temple heritage, bringing together Devamela, decorated elephants, traditional percussion, ceremonial processions, ritual worship and Arattu in a festival that continues to hold an important place in the cultural landscape of Thrissur.

🚆 Railway:

Thrissur Railway Station (nearest major station)

✈️ Airport:

Cochin International Airport

🚌 Bus:

Thrissur KSRTC Bus Station + buses to Arattupuzha from Thrissur town

🏨 Stay:

Thrissur hotels, lodges, and nearby homestays

✅ Notes:

Arattupuzha Pooram is a major Kerala temple festival known for temple rituals, decorated elephants, percussion performances, and large gatherings.