Photograph enclosed herewith shows the destruction caused by Thrissur Pooram fireworks on the structure of West Gopura of Vadakkunnatha temple.

In Kerala, Trichur Pooram is very infamous with its unscientific conduct of fireworks. This year, Trichur Pooram is to be celebrated on 17th April. On 18th April at around 3 am to rival festival groups will start the unscientific fire works display by using tense of thousands of quantities of banned explosives like dyanamites (dinamites) and gundu, which are capable of destroying the whole structure of the renewed premises of Vadakkumnadhan Temple. On 11th March, the District Collector of Thrissur had convened a meeting of all the officials of Police Department, Explosive Department and Archaeological Department to discuss the view points of various state holders including the Thrissur Pooram festival committees. At that meeting, the Superintending Archaeologist of Kerala Office, Archaeological Survey of India had raised objections regarding the permission granted by the ADM of Thrissur to conduct such unscientific fire works around the Vadakkumnathan Temple which is conferred with UNESCO Award of Excellence for the conservation efforts of the majestic temple premises. The Superintending Archaeologist of Kerala Office, Archaeological Survey of India had opined that their office cannot grant NOC for the conduct of any type of fire works inside Thekkinkadu Maidanam as they are duty bound to protect the renewed structures of Vadakkumnathan Temple. Hearing such objections the District Collector remain silent. But, the President of Thiruvambadi Devaswom (one of the main organisers of unscientific fire works of Thrissur Pooram) stood up and coerced the Superintending Archaeologist of Kerala Office, Archaeological Survey of India and other officers sitting at that meeting to the effect that they will boycott this year’s Thrissur Pooram is the Superintending Archaeologist stick to her stand. This type of coercion is exerted by these festival organisers year after year which in turn result in vast level of destruction to the structures of Vadakkumnathan Temple. I submit this plea expecting that the UNESCO will come forward as early as possible with International pressure to stop the continuation of unscientific fire works of Thrissur Pooram. I am enclosing herewith some photographs of unscientific fire works of Thrissur Pooram which resembles bombshell explosion.

The photograph enclosed herewith shows the damage created at the Western Gopuram of the protected monument of Thenkailenadha temple (Vadakkumnadha Temple) in Thrissur District which was renovated by the ASI. The ceremony of completion of such renovation was celebrated at this temple on I’st week of April 2015. But Kerala State Government, Thrissur District Administration, the Chennai and Cochin Office of the PESO, had given tacit support to the Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswom to explode tens of thousands of banned explosives of high decibel sound namely dynamite (dinamite) and gundu for Thrissur Pooram of 2015. Eventhough, the ground which surrounds the temple is a silent zone area, the Kerala State Government, the Thrissur District Collector, Thrissur City Police Commissioner and the Cochin and Chennai Office of PESO had given a permission in the form of an NOC to conduct such an unlawful event of exploding high decibel explosives on 23’rd and 29’th and 30’th April 2015 as part of conduct of Thrissur Pooram 2015. We expect that your authoritative office will initiate strict measures to conduct high level enquiry into this type of organized crime against the protected monument of historical and cultural importance to ensure proper punishment to the erring officials and the office bearers of festival committee of Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswom for the conduct of such unlawful fireworks which caused high level damage for the recently renovated Western Gopura and other inner parts of this Thenkailenadha Temple in Thrissur District of Kerala State.