Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 20 -- The traditional Arattu procession of Lord Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple was held here on Tuesday, marking the culmination of the ten-day Alpashi festival, with the ceremonial deities taken to Shanghumugham beach for the sacred ritual bath.
The procession, one of the most distinctive religious traditions of the state capital, followed its customary route from the temple to the beach, passing through the runway of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
The ceremonial passage necessitated a five-hour suspension of flight operations at the airport from 1600 hrs to 2100 hrs, in keeping with a long-standing practice associated with the temple and the erstwhile Travancore royal family.
The Arattu ceremony involve...