Thrissur Pooram is a major temple festival in Kerala which attracts millions of people from Kerala and outside. Major attractions of the festivities are the traditional and colourful fireworks display and the caparisoned elephants. Restrictions were imposed on fireworks display in the state following the Puttingal temple fire tragedy at Kollam in which 109 people were killed in April 2016. Without fireworks display the pooram won't be able to attract the crowd.
Now, the Central government has intervened and given permission to the temple authorities to conduct the traditional fireworks display, but with many restrictions. The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) under the Union Commerce Ministry refused to allow the use of dynamite in the Pooram but allowed the temple management to use low decibel firecrackers such “amaittu” and “olappadakam.”
The Thiruvambadi and the Paramekkavu Devaswom will be conducting the fireworks display. A trial was conducted before the main fireworks display on Saturday. Last year, the Kerala High Court had allowed low decibel fireworks display at night for the Pooram.
