Chariots begin rolling as Kalpathy fest enters final days

PALAKKAD The ongoing Kalpathy chariot festival entered its final phase on Saturday as the chariots of the Sree Visalakshi Sametha Viswanathaswamy Temple began their procession through the village streets. Hundreds of devotees joined in pulling the chariots, marking the start of the chariot days, the main attraction of the 11-day festival. The chariot festival reflects a tradition in which the deities leave their temples and travel through the village to visit devotees.

Pulling the chariots is considered an act of devotion, with people taking part as a way of seeking the blessings of the deities. On Sunday, the chariot of Manthakkara Sree Maha Ganapathy Temple, New Kalpathy, will begin its procession. On Monday, the deities of Sree Lakshminarayana Perumal Temple, Old Kalpathy, and Sree Prasanna Maha Ganapathy Temple, Chathapuram, will also take to the streets in their respective chariots.

The festival will reach its culmination on Monday evening when the chariots of all four temples converge at Therumutty, in front of the Viswanathaswamy Temple, and stand facing one another.