Handmade in India

1. The tidambu, a shield
like object bearing the
image of the deity is held
by the priest seated on
the chief elephant. The
copper embellishments
made by the thattan or
goldsmiths are stitched
onto fabric stretched on
the main frame made by
a carpenter. Although the
deity represented here is
the mother goddess
known as Bagvati, Lord
Ganesh and Lord
Mahavishnu are equally
popular. At the foot of
the tidambu is an arched
form called the
prabhamandala in which
the idol of the temple
deity is affixed for the
duration of the
procession.
2. Alavattam, the circular
peacock feather fans
used during the Pooram
ceremony.
POORAM CRAFTS
The Thrissur Pooram is a day long
event held at the Vaddakunathan
Temple in either the month of
April or May, that culminates in a
procession of richly caparisoned
elephants. Essentially, the festival
is a contest between two groups
representing the chief temples of
the city, the Krishna Temple at
Thiruvambadi and the Devi
Temple at Paramekkavu, with the
deity of the host temple acting as
witness to the proceedings. Each
faction comprises fifteen
elephants, each decorated with
anklets and a nettipattam,
forehead ornament, and carrying
three men - holding the koda
(parasol), whisks made of yak
wool and the aalavattam or
peacock feather fans. The temple
faction with the most impressive
display wins the contest; each
temple therfore commissions their
festival paraphernalia from a
number of different craftsmen in
utmost secrecy. The number and
nature of the koda are determined
by the temple authority and the
generosity of patrons.
Traditionally the koda were made
of a variety of fabrics ornamented
with tassels of dangling pendant
like metal elements. Today the
repertoire of motifs is far more
daring with massive three
dimensional sculptures of
Theyyam masks, peacocks and
images of deities in lightweight
3 Of the three men perched atop
the elephants the first holds the
koda, the second the whisks of
yak wool and the third the
peacock feather fans; the latter
two perform in tandem with the
rhythm of the chenda or the large
drums, alternately holding their
respective ritual objects aloft.
materials or multi tiered koda fitted to the top of the
umbrella. The nettipattam is constructed of embossed
copper pieces that are stitched onto a blanket of the
desired shape and size. The edges of the nettipattam are
decorated with woolen tassels in white, green, yellow,
red, violet and occasionally also in rose and blue.
The traditional koda or umbrella embellished with lace,
embroidery and metal tassels.
4 The central elephant amongst the fifteen from each
temple carries the tidambu and strapped to it is the idol of
the temple it represents; the umbrella held is usually of a
different colour than those flanking it and more ornate in
order to assert the importance of the deity.
Production Clusters
Thrissur district:
Kunnamkulam
Thrissur
Products
Koda - decorative
parasols
Nettipattam -
elephant headdresses
Aalavattam - circular
peacock feather fans
Venchamaram -
flywhisks
Tadambu -
ceremonial shield
Tools
Needle, Frames
Scissors, Hammers
Chisels
5 Nettipattam, a ceremonial forehead ornament worn by elephants. The copper pieces stitched onto the nettipattam, follow a preordained limited design
vocabulary; each form has a specific name and position - the snake hood is called the nagapaddam, the crescent is called the chandrakala, the centrepiece
is called the kumbakinam, the large roundels placed at the top of the nettipattam are caled the cattakinnam and the row of roundels that follow it,
decreasing in size as the nettipattam tapers towards the bottom, are known as the edakinnam.