Thrissur: As 'Atham' marked the beginning of Onam, the festival of Kerala, a group of people here prepared a grand 'Pookkalam' (floral carpet) on Friday. The massive floral display was made at the Thekke Gopuranada, the southern entrance of the Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple situated in the Thekkinkadu maidan here.

The 'Sayahna Souhrida Vedi' of Thrissur prepared the Pookkalam as a symbol of solidarity with people affected by the massive landslides in Wayanad. The Athapookalam not only marks the commencement of Onam in the cultural capital of Kerala but also the 17-year-long friendship of the Sayahna Souhrida Vedi.

Around 200 people, who regularly gather at the 'Thekke Gopuranada' of the Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple for evening meetups, collaborated to create the floral display. They reached the spot around 5 am on Friday morning to start the preparations.

Around 2,000 kilograms of flowers were used to create the 30-foot-wide Athappookkalam. Around three hours were taken to complete the colossal floral carpet. The Pookkalam also featured images of the landslide in Wayanad.

Many people arrived at the  'Thekke Gopuranada' to view the Pookkalam, capture pictures, and take selfies. The group first created an Athappookkalam at the 'Thekke Gopuranada'  in 2008. Following the floral carper preparations, traditional arts such as 'Kummatti' and 'Pulikali' were performed in various parts of the town.