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on top of a caparisoned elephant

Thrissur Pooram - 

the spectacular festival 
of light and colour, 
percussion and elephants

dictionary

Namboodiri name of the brahmin caste in Kerala
Brahmin the caste of the priest; the highest caste in the Hindu society
Malayalam language of Kerala
pooram the meeting point of all the arts
nettipattam frontlet of the elephant  = a large piece of cloth with thousands of gold plates stitched together sp closely making it appeal as if they are part of the elephant’s forehead
thidambu replica of the idol
venchamaram yak tail fans
alavattom peacock feathered circular fans
parasol long stemmed shimmering and glittering ceremonial umbrellas ceremonial umbrellas made out of silk and satin laced with white metal
kudamattam exchange at incredible speed of parasols, thread by Brahmin priests in ‘dhoties’, flanked by two others standing with the venchamaram and alavattomaloft the backs of the tuskers 
koodikazhcha face-to-face procession 
(the 'kudamattam' along with the 'koodikazcha' are also known as the divine bazaar
vedikkettu fireworks
melam combined drumming
pandi melam an orchestra of four instruments – the Chenda, the Kuzhal, the Kombu and the Ilathalam, played mainly in the major temple festivals of Kerala like the Thrissur Pooram.
chenda melam percussion event, featuring the Chenda
panchavadyam a percussion ensemble , typical of Kerala, consisting of ‘pancha’ (five) (pancha) ‘vadyam’ (instruments):  ‘maddalam’, ‘edakka’, ‘thimila’, ‘ilathalam’ and ‘kombu’. 
chenda a double-headed drum made of soft wood with both ends covered with cowhide. The musical notes of this instrument are adjusted by strings and small bamboo rings. The Chenda is played either with one hand and a stick or with two sticks beating the upper end while being kept in a vertical position by a strap over the player's left shoulder. Deft use of the palms can produce four different tones. 
It is the chief accompaniment in Kathakali (the classical dance-drama of Kerala) and the most important percussion instrument played during temple festivals. 
edakka an extremely sensitive percussion  instrument. Made of wood and about a quarter meter long,  the drumheads are held in position by interlacing cotton  threads. The player beats the drum with one hand while  simultaneously manipulating the strings with the other, thus  creating a variety of musical notes.
ilathalam a native version of the  cymbals
kombu a horn (kombu). It is a C-shaped wind instrument made of brass or  copper. Its shrill blare helps in subduing the pitch of the other  instruments
maddalam known since the 13th century -  is considered to be a ‘deva’ (divine) ‘vadya’ (instrument), included as a major accompaniment in the 'Dance of Lord Siva, the Destroyer'. There are two varieties: Suddha maddalam and Toppi  maddalam. The former is tied around the waist of the player  with a cloth, while the latter is a smaller version suspended  from the neck of the player. Barrel shaped and carved from  jack wood, both ends of the maddalam are covered with stretched hide and fastened by leather straps. It is also an  important instrument in art forms like the Kathakali, Krishnanattom and Tullal
thimila an hour-glass shaped drum made from polished jackwood. The drumheads made of calf hide are held together by leather braces which are also twined round the waist of the drum.  This mechanism helps in adjusting the tension and controlling the sound. It is a must during temple rituals like Seeveli, a ceremonial procession of deities.
devi goddess
sastha divine combination of Shiva and Vishnu
paradevatha family deity
thattakam people of the localities where the temples are located

Most famous percussion events during Thrissur Pooram

Elinjithara Melam of Paramekkavu
Madathil Varavu Panchavadyam of Thiruvambadi
Pandi Melom of Thiruvambadi

Introduction Dictionary
Pics: coming and going the procession the percussion taking a break at night

separation

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