Nalussery Poorolsavam is an important festival conducted in association with the
Nalussery Bhagavathy Temple. The temple is located in
Palakkad District and the presiding deity is Goddess Bhagavati.
This festivity is held on the Pooram asterism in the Malayalam month of
Meenam (March - April). The festival starts exactly a week before the Pooram day with the function Kodiyettam (hoisting the temple flag). Purappadu, Edayarattu, Koottuvilakku, Cheriya Arattu, and Valiya Arattu are conducted on the forthcoming days. Daily, both morning and evening, Arattu of the temple deity is performed in pond.
The idol is taken out in a procession through the village on the Koottuvilakku day. Devotees offer ‘Nirapara,’ an offering of rice, to the goddess along the way. On the day of Valiya Arattu, needless to say, huge crowds flock from across the states to the shrine to get the divine Darshan and blessings of the goddess. The famous ‘Desapooram’ is celebrated on the seventh day. Caparisoned elephants, Panchavadyam, Chendamelam, decorated statues of bullocks and horses (‘Desakkala’ and ‘Desakkuthira’) form part of these processions.
Many traditional rituals and art forms make this festival a memorable one. ‘Kalam Ezhuthu' and 'Pava Koothu' are other performing arts of Pooram Maholsavam. Different types of bullocks from nearby villages arrive for participating in the 'Valiya Arattu', also called 'Desakkala Sangamam'. With the sinking of the holy idol of Devi in the temple pond on the 8th day, all the celebrations of Pooram come to an end.
