Flight services at Thiruvananthapuram Airport to be temporarily suspended today; Here is why

 

The traditional “Arattu” procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple will pass through the runway, reported news agency PTI.

The Alpassi Arattu Procession is a century-old practice that involves the Travancore ruler Marthanda Varma. The procession marks the end of the nine-day Navaratri festival, celebrated at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

In order to facilitate the procession, the airport has been halting operations and rescheduling flights twice every year for decades.

For the Arratu procession, the priests in Garuda Vahanas, hundreds of people, and four elephants carry the Utsav Vigraha of deities Padmanabhaswamy, Narasimha Moorthy, and Krishna Swami. This procession passes through the long runway to Shangumugham Beach. The idols are then taken back to the temple with traditional torches, marking the conclusion of this festival.

At the time of the construction of an airport in this place, the Travancore King Sree Chithira Thirunal spoke to the airport authorities to facilitate the procession twice a year for Lord Padmanabha, the titular deity of the royal family. This royal-era ritual has been continued even after the Adani Group took over the management of the Thiruvananthapuram Airport.