Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur – Festivals

Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur – Festivals

Festivals celebrated in this Temple are listed below;

Thrissur Pooram:

For brief details, please refer below link;

Maha Shivaratri:

Maha Shivaratri is the main festival which is celebrated in the temple. Cultural and musical programmes are held in the temple premises. Around one lakh temple lamps (hundred thousand) are lighted in the festival. The idol of Vadakkunathan is not taken out for procession.

Aanayoottu:

The Aanayoottu of feeding of elephants, is the second biggest festival held in the temple. The devotees refer to elephants as Lord Ganesh's incarnation. The festival falls on the first day of the month of Karkkidakam (timed against the Malayalam calendar), which coincides with the month of July. It has been the regular annual practice at the temple for the last 20 years to conduct a large-scale Ashta Dravya Maha Ganapathy Havana and Aanayoottu on the first day of the Karkkidakom month of the Malayalam calendar. It involves a number of unadorned elephants being positioned amid a multitude of people for being worshipped and fed. A large number of people throng the temple to feed the elephants. Gajapooja also is conducted once every four years.

Thrikkarthika:

On the Thrikkarthika day in Vrischikam (November-December) morning poojas for Vadakkunnathan are conducted at the Southern compound wall. It is believed that on this day Lord Vadakkunnathan will sit on the compound wall looking Southwards to see his wife's (Kumaranalloor Karthyayani Devi) return procession after the Thrikkarthika bath in Meenachil river. Vilvamangalam Swamiyar once visited this temple in the morning on Thrikkarthika day. He realized the absence of Vadakkunnathan inside the Sree Kovil. So, he went around and found the Lord on the compound wall. It was Vilvamangalam who started the pooja on Southern compound wall on Thrikkarthika day.