Arattu Festival At Trivandrum

Beautiful backwaters, swaying coconut palms, expansive beaches, and if you are religious, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, are all that one can visualise about Trivandrum.

However, there is one unique feature in the festivals of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
Legend says that when Tipu Sultan invaded Trivandrum (then The state of Travancore), the king, maharaja Marthanda Verma knew that he cannot win. So he surrendered to Lord Padmanabha and from then on, the royal members have become dasas (servants) of Lord Padmanabha.
Everyday, the king comes to the temple, and cleans the podium in front of the sanctum sanctorum. He is the flag bearer for all processions of Lord Padmanabha.

Twice a year, in April and November, Lord Padmanabha along with Lord Narasimha and Lord Krishna are taken through a 4 km procession to the sea shore at Shangumukham beach. The king conducts the religious rituals and all the three idols are given a holy bath in the ocean and then taken back to the temple, concluding the 10 day festival. The festival known as "arattu" is worth seeing and the entire city throngs along the path of the procession. The procession is led by the royal family, his contingent police and cavalry with the idols atop gigantic elephants. Young children fancily dressed and others follow the procession, singing and dancing.

The unique feature is that the procession goes through the tarmac of the airport, normally a restricted area. No overflyings are allowed during the period when the Lord is out of the temple premises, to symbolise "He is supreme". When the king handed over the land to the national airport authority, it was agreed upon, to allow these processions as well as to disallow any overflying.

If ever you happen to visit Trivandrum during either of these months, ensure that you dont miss this unique procession, which probably is only one of its kind.