Meet those in charge of feeding literally thousands during Asia’s biggest festival, Thrissur Pooram and who do so tirelessly, with a smile on their faces
Food being prepared at Pushpanjali hall. Twenty-plus handpicked cooks, assisted by 100 men and women, prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner
No mouth goes unfed during Thrissur Pooram, be it the massive elephants that are part of the festivities or the thousands of devotees that participate in them.
Since the run-up to the Pooram celebration, nearly a week ago, over 500 people have been fed breakfast, lunch and dinner daily as part of the Annadhanam programme organised by the Paramekkavu Bagavathi temple Devosam.
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The 36-hour non-stop spiritual and cultural celebration, along with traditional musical ensembles, will also witness over 25,000 people being fed Annadhanam at the Pushpanjali hall, next to the Paramekkavu Bagavathi temple. The festival started at 10.57 am on April 19 and will end at 2. 04 pm on April 20.
P V Subramanyan, food committee convenor of the Paramekkavu Bagavathi temple Devosam holds a mango used for making mambazha pulissery
Interestingly, all the Annadhanam programme’s expenses are met by the temple Devosam without taking any donations from devotees.
mid-day peeked into the kitchen where meals are cooked four times a day and are served for free to the public.
Mammoth task
“The mammoth task of cooking for such a large number of gatherers is nothing less than a divine blessing, which the temple Devosam has been handling for centuries. The fact is, no devotee is left without food, as it never falls short or gets wasted,” explained P V Subramanyan, food committee convenor of the temple Devosam.
Vijayan K, the main chef associated with the Annadhanam programme at Pushpanjali hall on Thursday. Pics/Atul Kamble
“Kerala’s Thrissur Pooram has earned its place as the biggest festival in Asia. The grand temple is a beautiful and colourful spectacle with caparisoned elephants, sparkling parasols and loud percussive music. Not to forget the sound of crackers that go off in the darkness, lighting up the sky in gorgeous ricocheting colours and spectacular designs. Thrissur Pooram is a combination of two words: Thrissur, the name of the city, and Pooram, which refers to a group or a meeting in Malayalam,” Subramanyan said.
Traditional caterer services
The Sadhya for Annadhanam during the Pooram is prepared by Suresh Ambi Swami Catering Services, run by the son of the late Ambi Swami, who followed in the footsteps of his father and great grandfather by providing the traditional service to the Devosam, pointed out to Subramanyan.
Only twenty-plus handpicked cooks working with the caterer prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are assisted by over 100 men and women, who help them chop vegetables and clean utensils. The Annadhanam service started on April 16 and will end on April 20.
Mandatory food testing
Every staff member of the caterers, including cooks and workers, is screened by the district health department to ensure they are in good health before they start work a week before the Pooram festivities begin. Only those certified fit are allowed by the Devosam to cook. Similarly, the sample food cooked is also tested daily by the health department staff. They also ensure that good hygiene is maintained in cooking areas and kitchen, pointed out Subramanyan.
Menu is not the same
Vijayan K, the main cook, said, “Cooking actually begins in the wee hours at 1 am. By 8 am, breakfast and lunch is ready. The breakfast may be either idli, sambar and chutney on one day and upma on another day. Similarly, for Sadhya, during Pooram, we prepare only a few items—rice, sambar, rassa, two types of sabji, etc. The food is never wasted and by the end of the day, all of it is over.
“The food offered on April 19 is basic fare comprising kanji (rice gruel), chutney and papadom (papad) for around 500 people. On March 20, is the Kudamattam Sadya, a grand food feast served to around 20,000 on the temple premises,” explained Vijayan.
Kitchen surveillance
“No outsider is allowed to enter the cooking area and even the place where the vegetables are getting chopped. We have CCTV cameras and security guards are deployed at the main entrance point,” said Subramanyan.
Asked about the food expenses and contribution for the Annadhanam during Pooram, he said, “All the Annadhanam’s expenses are taken care of by the Devosam and so are the expenses for the Pooram festival, a practice which has been going on for years. All people are welcomed by the Devosam for Annadhanam. Also, with the temperature soaring, especially with humidity on the rise, buttermilk is being offered to the people.”
Eco-friendly material
Every material used to serve food in the Sadya is eco-friendly, from the banana leaf to biodegradable plates and spoons used for serving kanji. The vegetable waste (from cutting, peeling and scraping skins, seeds etc) is converted into compost for farms. And on an average, tonnes of waste get accumulated daily, explained Subramanyan.
Asked if, on the last day, dinner will be served, he promptly gave an affirmation, and with that, the yearly Pooram Annadhanam will also be over.
April 20
Day Annadhanam service will end
Did you know?
To make this traditional sweet and sour curry served as Annadhanam, the following ingredients were obtained:
. 12,000 pieces of special chandrakaran mango (R200 per kilogram)
. 1,000 kg of moovandan mango (It takes years for this mango tree to blossom)
. 1,000 kg of cucumber
. 400 litres of curd
. Spices
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