Alpashi festival of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple to begin on Thursday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The annual Alpashi Utsavam of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple here will begin on October 19 with the ceremonial flag hoisting between 9 and 9.30 am. Special rituals will be part of the 10-day festival.

Idols of presiding deities will be taken on gold and silver ‘vahanam’ in ritualistic ‘sheeveli’ processions circumambulating the inner temple complex.

On the first day, the sheeveli procession at 8.30 pm will be on a Simhasana Vahanam, followed by Anantha Vahanam  on October 20; Kamala Vahanam on October 21; Pallakku Vahanam on October 22 and 25; Garuda Vahanam on October 23, 26, 27 and 28; Indra Vahanam on October 24. All processions will be at 4.30 pm and 8.30 pm.

Pallivetta will start on October 27 at 8.30 pm. The arattu procession, held on October 28, will leave for the Shanghumugham beach  at 5 pm. Arattu kalasam ritual will be held on October 29 marking an end to the festivities.

Rituals ahead of the annual alpashi festival began at the temple with the Mannuneerukoral on Friday. In this, soil was brought from the Mithranandapuram pond to the temple. This soil will be used to grow cereal seeds which will be used for the dravya kalasha ritual during the festival. During the Mannuneerukoral ritual, temple personnel went to the pond and collected soil and water in a pot to the accompaniment of a traditional orchestra.

A royal temple festival

The festival is observed in October/November. On the penultimate day of the  festival, the Maharajah of Travancore in his capacity as Thrippappoor Mooppan escorts the deities to  the vettakkalam for Pallivetta. During the days of yore, the Pallivetta procession is believed to have wound its way through Kaithamukku, Kuthiravattom (Kunnumpuram), Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram and  Putharikkandam areas. The festival culminates with the Aarat (holy bath) procession to the Shangumugham  Beach.