Question

The festival Thrissur Pooram is celebrated in Kerala in honour of

• A. Goddess Saraswathi
• B. Goddess Lakshmi
• C. Goddess Durga
• D. Goddess Valli

Hint:

While the physical host temple of Thrissur Pooram is Lord Shiva's Vadakkunnathan Temple, the main deities carried on the elephants are the sister goddesses (Bhagavathys/Durga) of Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks to identify the deity celebrated during the world-famous cultural festival of Thrissur Pooram in Kerala.

Step 2: Key Concepts and Cultural Festivals:
Thrissur Pooram is celebrated annually at the Vadakkunnathan (Shiva) Temple in Thrissur.
Although the venue is a Lord Shiva temple, the Pooram festival is fundamentally a competitive meeting of the deities from surrounding temples.
The two major competing participant groups of the festival represent the Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple and the Thiruvambady Sri Krishna Temple.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:

• Bhagavathy as Durga: The main deities that are ceremonially paraded on caparisoned elephants to pay respects to Vadakkunnathan (Lord Shiva) are the Bhagavathys (Goddesses) of Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady.
These female deities represent different fierce and protective manifestations of Goddess Durga (Goddess Bhagavathy).
Thus, the festival represents the convergence and celebration in honor of these manifestations of Goddess Durga.

• Pooram Highlights: It is famous for the competitive exhibition of umbrellas (Kudamattom), caparisoned elephants, and traditional temple orchestras (Panchavadyam and Elanjithara Melam).


Step 4: Final Answer:
Therefore, the festival is celebrated in honor of Goddess Durga, which corresponds to Option (C).