Gods on the runway: Kerala airport halts flights every year to make way for temple procession

Thiruvanathpuram, Oct 31: In strict adherence to rituals dating back decades, the Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala will stop flight operations and rearrange its flight schedule on Saturday as part of a festival of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.

This is probably the only airport in the world that stops the flight operations for a centuries-old temple procession to pass.

The flight operations will be suspended for five hours on Tuesday, when 'Aarattu' passes through its runway during the Painkuni and Alpassi festivals. 'Aarattu' is the ritual bath procession of temple idols.

According to the official statement,''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 November 1, 2022.''

The statement also said that domestic and international services have been rescheduled for this period and the updated timings will be available from the respective airlines.

The airport officials issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) before suspending its services for the bi-annual festival as it takes place twice a year. The first procession is usually held between March and April for the Panguni festival and then in October and November to celebrate Alpassi.

The temple also issues special passes to participants since it it passes through the high security airport area.

What is the Alpassi Arattu procession?

Before the airport's inception, it is said that this was the traditional route followed by temple authorities for the 'arattu' (ritual bath) procession from the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the state capital pass through the runway on its way to the Shankhumukam Beach.

According to the temple management, the temple procession carrying Lord Vishnu's idol moves through the airport runway to the Shankhumukam Beach, which is behind the airport. The deity is given a 'holy dip', a tradition being followed since 1932.

The ritual has come to be defined as a permanent fixture during the temple festivals of Painkuni and Alpassi, dating back as far to the reign of Chithira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, the last king of Travancore.

The procession witnesses the priests in Garuda Vahanas along with hundreds of people and four elephants adorned with rich decorative coverings, carry Utsav Vigraha of deities Padmanabhaswamy, Narasimha Moorthy, and Krishna Swami and walk through the long runway of the airport to Shankumugham Beach.

After the 'holy bath', the procession goes back to the temple through the same route in the night with an escort of people carrying burning 'theevettis' (traditional fire lamps), thereby concluding the festival.