Vadakkunnathan Temple

Mahashivarathri is a major festival celebrated in a grand manner with many cultural and musical programs that attract huge number of devotees every year. Cultural and musical programs are held in the temple premises. Around one million temple lamps (one hundred thousand) are lit during the festival. The idol of Vadakkumnatha is not taken out in procession. Abhishekam with ghee and tender coconut will continue on this day. The temple is not closed at night and special poojas with abhishekam will be held during the day.

Aanayoottu is another important festival of this temple which feeds elephants and marks them as incarnations of Lord Ganesha. Aanayoottu elephant feeding is the second biggest festival held in the temple. Devotees refer to elephants as an incarnation of Lord Ganesha. The festival falls on the first day of the month of Karkkidakam (timed according to the Malayalam calendar), which coincides with the month of July. For the past 20 years, it has been a regular annual practice at the temple to perform extensive Ashta Dravya Maha Ganapathy Havana and Aanayootta on the first day of the Karkidakom month of the Malayalam calendar. It includes several unadorned elephants that are placed among a crowd of people to be worshiped and fed. A large number of people throng the temple to feed the elephants. Gajapooja is also held once in four years.

A colorful Thrissur Pooram is also celebrated in the temple premises. Thrissur Pooram is called the mother of all Poorams in Kerala. In Malayalam it is called “poorangalude pooram”. This is done in the Malayalam month of Medam. The Parmekavu and Thiruvambady temple deities along with other little poor people come for the festivities before Vadakkumanathan. It is a 36-hour festival that attracts thousands of enthusiasts from all over the state as well as visitors from other regions and abroad. The main attractions of Pooram are Madathilavaravu panchavadhyam, Elanjithara melam, Kudamattam and Vedikettu. The festival is a visual feast for all who enjoy it.