Pooram is a mixture of crowds, rush and wandering.Way back in the sixties, I never missed a single Pooram. Later, amid hectic work, I stopped watching it. Even in those days, its advent used to make me happy. My Pooram always used to start with Madathil Varavu Panchavadyam. The happiness that I get while listening to Panchavadyam among the crowds, I do not get anywhere else. On one side is the temple; on the other side is an ocean of humanity; and above them is the canopy of the banyan tree. May be this is why the area in front of the Madam gives the impression of an auditorium. And, may be, that is why the Panchavadyam played there becomes so sweet.
Those who play instruments today are experts; there is no doubt about that. But those who came before them were legends. In the future, today’s experts too will certainly reach there. I am lucky that I could directly experience the depth, the simplicity and the music in the performances of Annamanada Achutha Marar and Peethambara Marar. If I say that that performance remains in mind even after 40 years, that alone will show how much it touched me. Annamanada has a long musical tradition, especially in Panchavadyam. When I heard that Annamanada Parameswara Marar will not perform this year, it saddened me. When I heard him say that he will come next year, it made me happy. In Panchavadyam tradition, Parameswara Marar is a master: an artiste who can match his predecessors.
Ilanjithara leaves after Madathil Varavu. I have heard the performance of Narayana Marar, grandfather of Peruvanam Kuttan Marar, the person who leads the performance today. During Ilanjithara Melam, each person gets to know masters and experience rare moments of great talent.
Melams are performed in places like Irinjalakuda and Thripunithura also, and they are big events. However, at Ilanjithara and in front of the Madam, a person will feel that some places are truly special. Panchavadyam by Paramekkavu at night is worth listening to. Just standing in front of Paramekkavu in the light of oil torches itself is an experience. If the atmosphere is good, any music will touch us.
Pooram is a mixture of crowds, rush and wandering. There is no meaning in standing at one place and enjoying Pooram without getting lost in the crowd. I stopped going for Poorams when it became difficult to move in the crowd. Now I watch the end of Ilanjithara Melam and the beginning of Madathil Varavu on TV. Pooram is something that cannot be experienced on TV. But I just do it for peace of mind.
Pooram should be seen from the festival ground. All those who could wander around and see it should be ready to do so. The Pooram in my mind is the one that I saw in the sixties. I do not know whether the hands that go up today when the orchestra plays are that of aficionados. If it is so, I am happy. Pooram becomes more vibrant when such people gather in large numbers. Let us pray that each aficionado leaves with memories full of sights and sounds of Pooram.
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