Photo credits: Jithin Vijay

As per the inscriptions found in the temple at Arattupuzha, in the Thrissur district, this village’s pooram, or festival, started around 1,400 years back and is the oldest festival in Kerala. It is believed that on the pooram day, gods and goddesses from twenty-three temples participate in this festival–thus, the festival is also called Deva Samagamam, or “the assembly of gods.”

Elephants, always a staple at temple festivals, are assembled in the early hours of the next day in a sprawling paddy field. Arattupuzha Pooram attracts a large crowd from far and wide, including foreigners, every year.