Thrissur: Putting an end to uncertainties over the conduct of next year's Thrissur Pooram, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday suggested that the Pooram exhibition should be held as per the existing agreement between the Cochin Devaswom Board and Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswoms.
Triggering a controversy, the office-bearers of Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswoms. had declared on December 18 that they would have to make the Pooram, to be held on April 19, 2024, a low-key affair, if the Cochin Devaswom Board, which owns the Vadakkumnathan temple ground, doesn’t withdraw its decision to charge Rs 2.20 crore as ground fee to conduct the Pooram exhibition. Rent for the ground, where the Pooram exhibition is being held, was Rs 39 lakh last year.
Addressing an online meeting on the issue of fixing the exhibition ground rent for the Pooram, the chief minister said that other matters can be discussed and decided after the event.
Both Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswom office-bearers, who attended the meeting, welcomed the Chief Minister's proposal.
"The Pooram should be conducted gracefully. This is one of the the main festivals of the country and it is important to ensure smooth conduct of the same," said the chief minister, suggesting to put an end to the controversies.
Representatives of the Devaswoms said the exhibition held at the Vadakkumnathan temple ground (Thekkinkad Maidanam) is an integral source of income for the smooth conduct of the Thrissur Pooram.
The exhibition is an integral part of the revenue for the devaswoms.
On December 18, the Devaswom office-bearers sought the intervention of the chief minister in reducing the ground fee as well as solving the issues related to organising the pooram.
Following the controversies, opposition parties had initiated protest programmes against the LDF government.
Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan, Revenue Minister K Rajan, Higher Education Minister R Bindu, representatives of Thiruvambadi, Paramekkavu and Cochin Devaswoms and others attended the online meeting.
