Thrissur Pooram is the most spectacular and colourful festival of Kerala. The venue of the pooram is at Vadakkumnathan temple. The Thrissur pooram, is celebrated every year, on the pooram day, in the month of Medam (mid-april to mid-may) month as per the malayalam calendar. Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of the erstwhile Cochin State in the late 18th century introduced this festival. Thrissur town plays host, for  long 36 hours of the pooram, to one of the most largest collection of people and fifty or more elephants. The ezhunnellippu programme, which is considered to be a ritual sybolising the visit of the Devi from the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi temples to the Vadakkunnathan temple. A major event of the Pooram festival is the Panchavadyam in which about 200 artistes from the disciplines of Thimila, Maddalam, Trumpet, Cymbal and Edakka participate. Another major event of the pooram begins with the setting off of the 'Pandemelam' at noon in which about 200 artistes in the disciplines of drum, trumpets, pipe and cymbal participate. The main features of the pooram festival are these decorated elephants with their nettipattam (decorative headdress), beautiful crafted umbrella, the kolam, decorative bells and ornaments, etc. Splendid caparisoned elephant procession, Kudamattom (umbrella showing competition), Elanjitharamelam (drum concerts), spectacular firework displays are the cynosure of Pooram that draws unbelievable number of people to the city. At 3' 0 Clock in the night spectacular display of fireworks begins. It lasts till 6' 0 clock in the morning and by afternoon the festival ends. Principle participants are Paramekkavu and Tiruvambadi, close to the Vadakunnathan temple. Other constituent Temples of Thrissur Pooram are Kanimangalam Sastha  Temple, Chembukkavu Bagavathy Temple, Panamukkumpally Sastha Temple, Pookkattikkara - Karamukku Baghavathy Temple, Laloor Baghavathy Temple, Choorakkottukavu Bagavathy Temple, Ayyanthole Bagavathy Temple and Nethilakkavu Bagavathy Temple.