Thrissur: The office-bearers of both Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswoms have clarified that they will have to limit this year’s Thrissur Pooram festival to mere a ceremony, if the Cochin Devaswom Board doesn’t withdraw its decision to charge Rs 2.20 crore as ground fee to conduct the Pooram Exhibition.
A press release was issued after a joint meeting held by both Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswoms on Monday.
Representatives of the devaswoms said that the Thrissur Pooram Exhibition held at the Vadakkumnathan temple ground (Thekkinkad Maidanam) is an integral source of income for the smooth conduct of the Thrissur Pooram.
This is the 61st year of the pooram exhibition. However, the Cochin Devaswom Board, which owns the Vadakkumnathan temple ground, recently increased the ground rent to an unprecedented level from Rs 39 lakh in the last year to Rs 2.20 crore in 2023. If the ground fee itself is too high, then they would not have enough funds to conduct the pooram keeping its tradition, glory and splendor as in the past years, pointed out the Paramekkavu-Thiruvambadi devaswom office-bearers.
They have now sought the intervention of the chief minister in reducing the ground fee as well as solving the issues related to organising the pooram exhibition. “It is high time we start preparations for conducting the exhibition. If the exhibition is to start in March, the time for starting the preliminary work has already passed,” they said.
