The 10-day Painkuni festival at the iconic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple concluded with the Arat to the Shanghumugham beach for the ritualistic immersion of the idols on Monday evening.
COVID-19 protocol
In adherence to the COVID-19 protocol, the traditional Arat procession’ carrying the idols of Sree Padmanabhaswamy, Thiruvambadi Krishna, and Narasimhamoorthy was taken out from the western gate of the temple on ‘garuda vahanas’ to the beach via the Arat road and the tarmac of the Thiruvananthapuram international airport after a gap of one year.
The elephant bearing the ceremonial drums on its back at the head of the procession, followed by mounted police, police band, armed police, flag-bearers was missing this time. Priests and people chanting hymns and prayers were present but in less number to accompany the idols for the arat .
Hundreds thronged the streets from West Fort to Vallakadavu as usual to see the procession.
However, the students of the Vallakadavu Yathemkhana who line up to see the procession were missing this year.
Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma, head of the ruling family of erstwhile Travancore, led the procession wearing the traditional green cap and carrying the ceremonial sword.
Other male members of the family accompanied him.
Tantri Tharanallur Satheesan Namboodiripad led the priests in conducting the pujas at Shanghumughom beach and this was followed by the holy dip of the idols in the sea.
Idols of four temples
The idols of the four temples-Sreevarahom, Thivikramangalam, Thripadapuram and Eraviperoor- under Travancore Devaswom Board also joined the Arat.
Instead of taking the idols in caparisoned elephants, they were taken by the priests this time adhering to the COVID-19 protocol.
Flag lowered
The festival concluded after the idols were brought back to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple through the western gate around 9 p.m. After the idols were taken in procession to the temple, the festival flag was lowered and pujas held.
