PALAKKAD: The flag for the famous Kalpathy Ratholsavam (car festival) will be hoisted on Monday at the Kalpathy Viswanatha Swamy Temple, the centre of the festival, on the banks of the Nila river (Bharathapuzha).
Since the government has given permission to hold the car festival, allowing the participation of 300 people, a mini festival will be held.
During the last two years, only temple rituals were held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The festival starts on November 8 and ends on November 17, 2021.
There is an inscription on a stone standing to the east of Siva Temple proclaiming that it was constructed in the Malayalam year 600 (1425 AD) by Shri Itti Kombi Achan, the then ruler of Palakkad.
The festival is celebrated by Tamil brahmins and is based on the Vedic Tamil brahmin culture. The Tamil brahmins, who migrated to Palakkad in the 14th century, established 96 Agraharams in the district and 18 within the town. All the Agraharams have temples. The Ratholsavam celebrations start with Kalpathy. It is celebrated in the last week of the Tamil month of Aippasi. This synchronizes with the festival celebrated in Mayiladuthurai in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.
The main centre of the festival is Viswanatha Swamy Temple. But the three satellite temples in new Kalpathy, old Kalpathy and Chathapuram villages also celebrate it.
This colourful festival of a hoary tradition remains a grand event of Malabar in the erstwhile Madras presidency. While the rituals inside the temple and the mode of worship are strictly according to the Tamil brahmin culture, practices outside like drum beating, decoration of the Rathas etc., are Kerala style.
Though this festival is celebrated by brahmin settlers, equal rights are given to other communities as well. The festival has become a big tourist attraction and many foreign tourists used to visit it.
