Thiruvananthapuram International Airport once again closed its runway and suspend flight operations for five hours on Tuesday, to allow the ceremonial procession of the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple to pass through the runway.
According to reports, because one of the temple’s “Arattu” processions, which mark the end of the Alpassi festival, falls on Tuesday, the airport officials here have notified that flight services will be suspended for five hours from 4 pm to 9 PM.
Domestic and international services during this period have been rescheduled. An airport source said that at least 10 flights have been rescheduled for the ritualist procession as of now.
“To enable and facilitate the smooth continuation of a centuries-old ritual by Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple for the Alpassi Arattu procession, through the runway of the Thiruvananthapuram International airport, the flight services shall remain suspended from 1600 to 2100 hours on the 1st November 2022,” the airport management said here in a statement.
“There is an Aaratu mandapam near the runway where the temple idols are being kept for some time as part of the ritual during the procession. We are keeping it with all sanctity. We are facilitating the passage of the traditional procession. The flight companies are also extending all cooperation to retain the legacy,” the source told PTI.
This is, however, not the first time the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport has suspended flights to enable the smooth passage of the ceremonial procession of the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple. This is a bi-annual practice that has been taking place even before the airport was established in 1932.
In fact, even when the Adani Group took over the administration of the airport last year, the practice of closing it down for the ritualistic procession continued without fail.
The Arattu festival at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a unique event for the people of Thiruvananthapuram. As part of this, processions are held twice a year (Alpassi and Panguni Festivals) from the temple to Shankhumukham Beach for the holy bath (Arattu) in the sea. The procession is led by the Travancore royal family. Many cultural activities take place on the temple grounds following ritualistic practice.
According to the traditional practice, the processional idols of the temple deities are carried to the sea behind the airport for a holy dip twice a year in a ceremonial march.
The airport releases a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) twice a year before the runway closes for the bi-annual Alpassi festival, which takes place in October-November, and the Panguni festival, which takes place in March-April.
After a dip in the sea off Shankumugham beach, the idols would be taken back to the shrine in a procession lit by traditional lamps and torches which marks the conclusion of the festival.
