Flying to Kerala tomorrow? So this news is for you travelers. Flight services will remain suspended for 5 hours at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on November 1. The airport said flight services would remain suspended ahead of the Alapasi Arattu procession at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. Domestic and international services have been rescheduled for this period and updated timings will be available from respective airlines. The airport suspends its flight services every year during the time of the traditional Arattu procession (arattu- ritual bathing of the deity). This century-old Vishnu temple was traditionally managed by the temple’s heir, Marthanda Varma, the erstwhile ruler of Travancore, for over 1,000 years.
“In order to smoothly continue and facilitate the centuries-old ritual by the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple for the Alpasi Aarattu procession through the runway of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, flight services will remain suspended from 1600 to 2100 hrs on 1 November 2022,” the airport said. The statement from the airport said.
During this procession, the idol of Lord Vishnu is taken to Shankumugham beach, which is just behind the airport in Thiruvananthapuram, and on this occasion, the deity is given a ‘holy dip’ twice a year, even before the airport is established. ‘ Is given. 1932. Before closing it for a bi-annual festival, the airport issues a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) as it happens twice a year, first between March and April for the Panguni festival and then in October and November To celebrate Alfasy.
For the procession, priests in Garuda vehicle, accompanied by hundreds of people and four elephants in richly decorated veils, carry the Utsav Vigraha of the deities Padmanabhaswamy, Narasimha Murthy and Krishna Swamy and walk through this long runway to Shankumugham Beach. After taking a dip in this beach, the idols will be taken back to the temple in a procession with traditional torches, which marks the conclusion of this festival.
(with inputs from ANI)
