Thrissur Pooram 2026: Date and Timings for the UAE – Divine Sansar

Vadakkunnathan temple lit up at night with caparisoned elephants and crowds at Thrissur Pooram - Divine Sansar

Thrissur Pooram 2026 falls on Monday, 27 April, Dubai time, at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur, Kerala. Known across Kerala as the "Pooram of Poorams," it is the largest and most spectacular of the state's temple festivals, built around caparisoned elephants, percussion ensembles and a closing fireworks display. Malayali households across the UAE mark the day by watching the live broadcast and, in many homes, with a small pooja to Lord Shiva.

Thrissur Pooram 2026 Date and Timings

Thrissur Pooram is fixed to the Pooram Nakshatra in the Malayalam month of Medam, so its Gregorian date shifts each year. The timings below are set for Dubai rather than carried over from an Indian source.

Event	Dubai Date	Timing
Thrissur Pooram	Monday, 27 April 2026	All day, from early morning
Pooram Nakshatram begins	Sunday, 26 April 2026	6:57 PM
Pooram Nakshatram ends	Monday, 27 April 2026	7:48 PM

What is Thrissur Pooram?

Thrissur Pooram is held every year at the Vadakkunnathan Temple, a Shiva temple standing on a raised hill at the centre of Thrissur town, on the Thekkinkadu Maidan around it. The festival was founded by Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Cochin, who ruled from 1790 to 1805, to bring together the smaller Poorams of the region into a single grand celebration.

Ten temples from around Thrissur take part, organised into two groups, Thiruvambady Devaswom and Paramekkavu Devaswom, who compete in friendly rivalry to present the finest display of caparisoned elephants and percussion. Each group fields fifteen elephants at a time, dressed in gold-plated Nettipattam headgear, for the Ilanjithara Melam and the later Madathil Varavu processions.

How Thrissur Pooram is Celebrated

The best-known moment of the festival is Kudamattom, when mahouts atop the elephants exchange colourful silk parasols in a fast, coordinated sequence, drawing the loudest cheers from the crowd below. This runs alongside Chenda Melam and Panchari Melam, drum ensembles that can involve over 200 percussionists performing together, building to a peak before the display ends. The festival closes before dawn the next day with Vedikettu, a large fireworks display that has become one of its signature attractions in its own right.

Thrissur Pooram from the UAE

The UAE runs about ninety minutes behind Indian time, so festivities that unfold through the afternoon and evening in Thrissur are visible in the UAE from late morning onward the same day. Malayali associations and community groups across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi often gather to watch the official live broadcast together, since 27 April 2026 falls on a working Monday and few can travel to Kerala for it. Since Vadakkunnathan is a Shiva temple, some Malayali households in the UAE mark the day with a simple pooja at home rather than travelling, lighting a lamp and offering prayers to Lord Shiva in the morning before the day's broadcast begins.

Thrissur Pooram 2026 FAQs

When is Thrissur Pooram in 2026?

Thrissur Pooram falls on Monday, 27 April 2026, Dubai time, at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur, Kerala.

Why is it called the "Pooram of Poorams"?

Thrissur Pooram brings together ten participating temples and is the largest single-day temple festival in Kerala by scale, elephant count and crowd size, which is why it is widely referred to by that name.

Which temples take part in Thrissur Pooram?

Ten temples around Thrissur take part, divided into two groups led by Thiruvambady Devaswom and Paramekkavu Devaswom, alongside the host Vadakkunnathan Temple.

What is Kudamattom?

Kudamattom is the ceremonial exchange of decorated silk parasols by mahouts standing atop the elephants, performed in a fast sequence and considered the visual highlight of the festival.

Can Thrissur Pooram be watched from the UAE?

Yes. Kerala television channels and community associations typically livestream the festival, and since the UAE is about ninety minutes behind India, the broadcast can be followed from late morning through the evening on the same Dubai date.

Is Thrissur Pooram linked to a specific deity?

The host temple, Vadakkunnathan, is dedicated to Lord Shiva, though the participating temples bring their own deities to the Thekkinkadu Maidan for the day as part of the celebration.

What ends the festival?

Thrissur Pooram closes before dawn the following day with Vedikettu, a large fireworks display that draws crowds in its own right, after which the temple idols return to their home shrines.