A visit to Kerala’s religious site offers a treat to the eyes and souls during a Kerala Tourism. Kerala is resplendent with temple festivals all round the year. Arattu festival is the closing ceremony of the ten-day festival in the famous Lord Padmanabha temple at Thiruvananthapuram.The Arattu is a ceremonial procession of the Lord at the close of the ten-day-festival. The previous night, there is a procession called pallivetta inside the fort encircling the temple. There are two such festivals every year. One takes place in the Malayalam month of Thulam (October-November) and the other in Meenam (March-April).
On the day of the Arattu, His Highness the Ex-Maharaja enters the corridor of the temple, and after some rituals, the procession takes out through the eastern gate with the accompaniment of nagaswaram, drum etc.
His Highness with sword in hand and escorted by armed guards, infantry, mounted police, officers etc. leads the procession to the Sanghumugham beach.
A caparisoned elephant goes in front with drum on its back, which is beaten to indicate that the God is coming in procession. Six more caparisoned elephants follow. The procession leaves the temple gate at about 5pm and a 21-gun salute is made. On reaching the beach the ceremonial bath is taken in the sea.
