Wayanad: More than 1,000 villagers came together overnight to create a 25,000-square-foot Pookkalam in Irulam, a forest-fringed village in Wayanad, turning their Onam celebration into a floral tribute to Maniyan, the wild elephant that once shared an unusual bond with the local community.
Nearly 10,000 kg of flowers sourced from neighbouring Karnataka were used to create the massive floral artwork at the Irulam Government High School ground. Marigold, globe amaranth (vadamalli) and several other varieties of flowers went into the Pookkalam.
The giant floral carpet was created as part of ‘Onam 2K26’, a village-wide celebration organised under the leadership of the Irulam Lions Club in association with local sports and arts clubs and various socio-cultural organisations.
People from different walks of life- including members of women’s groups, traders, taxi drivers and more than a dozen clubs and socio-cultural organisations- joined the effort.
According to Irulam Lions Club president Nikhil Parakkal, who is also chairman of the Onam Festival Celebration Committee, more than 1,000 people participated in creating the Pookkalam.
“This could be one of the largest Pookkalams created in an open ground in the state,” Nikhil told Onmanorama. He said an organisation in Kozhikode had earlier created a 40,000-square-foot Pookkalam, but that artwork was made indoors.
The scale of the project meant that the work continued throughout Monday night. Floodlights were installed around the school grounds as villagers worked through the night, despite the rain.
“Nearly 100 people were directly involved in laying the Pookkalam alone, while another 200 assisted by bringing flowers to the spot whenever required. Cutting and preparing the flowers into petals was itself a Herculean task, in which hundreds of villagers took part,” Nikhil said.
What initially appeared to be an almost impossible task became a reality as the villagers came together for a common purpose. “Initially, it seemed almost impossible. But when the entire village came together with one mind and one goal, the dream became a reality,” Nikhil said.
A floral tribute to Maniyan
The Pookkalam was completed late Monday night and now stands on the grounds of Irulam Government High School.
Located along the Sulthan Bathery-Pulppally road and surrounded by forests, Irulam has a special connection with Maniyan, the wild elephant whose presence was once an inseparable part of life in the village.
For the villagers, Maniyan was more than just a wild elephant. The animal had developed an unusual familiarity with the local community and was frequently seen around the village.
Residents would feed Maniyan bunches of plantains, and locals say the elephant would often respond when they called out to him.
Over time, Maniyan came to symbolise the unusual bond that can exist between people and wildlife. His image at the centre of the giant Pookkalam is therefore more than a floral design- it is a tribute to an animal that remains deeply embedded in the memories of Irulam’s residents.
A village comes together
The giant Pookkalam has already begun drawing visitors from different parts of Wayanad. It will remain open to the public until 10 pm on Wednesday, Thiruvonam day.
For Irulam’s residents, however, the significance of the Pookkalam goes beyond its enormous size.
The project brought together more than 1,000 people from different walks of life, organisations and communities, with residents working side by side through the night to turn an ambitious idea into reality.
For the villagers, that collective effort reflects the spirit of Onam itself- unity, togetherness and the celebration of a community coming together as one.
