New tusker line-up adds charm to Vrischikotsavam

Tripunithura: The high court (HC) directive making a three-metre distance between tuskers being paraded for festivals mandatory seems to have helped in adding charm to the procession in connection with Vrischikotsavam at Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple. To ensure that the court order is obeyed, Cochin devaswom board (CDB) redesigned the pattern of parading elephants and the audience found it more attractive than earlier.
To keep the century-old custom of parading 15 tuskers intact while obeying the HC directive, CDB, the official organizer of the fest, redesigned the parade in a U shape.
Nine caparisoned tuskers were lined in the 150-year-old aanakkottil (elephant shelter) and three were paraded on either side of the aanakkottil, beneath the shade provided by the temporary elephant shelter.
"This gave a new look to the show as we could enjoy the event in a relaxed mood," says Satheesh Varma, who has been frequenting the festival for the past several years.
"Moreover, when all 15 elephants were lined up facing the northern direction during the second half of panchari melam, we didn't miss the conventional beauty of 15 tuskers being paraded in a single line," Satheesh said.
"Since the time of the erstwhile Cochin kingdom, the fifth phase of Panchari Melam was performed by parading tuskers facing north," says Gopakumaran Thampuran of Cochin royal family.
Now the percussionists too rescheduled the duration of panchari melam in tune with the HC directive.
"After the first two phases of panchari melam, they performed the remaining three phases in front of the presiding deity," Thampuran said.
Moreover, the new parading style helps ensure enough space for crowd control. "Devotees too cooperated with us," said CDB president K Sudharshan.