Painkuni Aarattu at Padmanabhaswamy temple; Thiruvananthapuram International Airport will halt operation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The runway at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport will be closed on April 11 as part of the Painkuni Aarattu procession at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. It will be closed from 4.45 pm to 9 pm. Domestic and international flight services during this time have been rescheduled. The revised schedule is available from the respective airlines, the airport authorities said.

The procession will involve Sree Padmanabhaswamy and other deities being carried to Shankhumugham Beach for the Aarattu ritual. This tradition is held during moonrise. The airport was established in 1932 near Shankhumugham under the leadership of Travancore King Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. Before its construction, the Aarattu route had already existed, and the king ensured that this route would be preserved for temple processions. An agreement with the central government formalised this arrangement, which continues today.

The Painkuni festival held during the Meenam month is one of two annual festivals at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the other being the Alpashi festival held during the Thulam month. Both conclude with the Aarattu ritual at Shankhumugham Beach. During the procession, Sree Padmanabhaswamy is carried in a golden garuda vehicle, while Thekkedam Narasimhamurthy and Thiruvambadi Sree Krishnaswamy are carried in silver garuda vehicles. Thousands of devotees usually accompany the procession, which starts from West Fort and passes through the airport before reaching Shankhumugham Beach.