Chariots rolled along the narrow lanes of Kalpathy heritage village on Sunday, bringing back the centuries old religious fervour that the Tamil Brahmin village used to enjoy.
The concerns of large sections of Kalpathy residents over uncertainties about taking out the chariots died down when three small chariots of major deities came out bedecked.
They were pulled with the help of large ropes by a group of designated men who had taken two doses of COVID vaccines and had tested negative for the virus. Rain too stayed away bringing cheer to the devotees.
The festivities began on Sunday morning at Kalpathy Sree Visalakshi Sametha Sree Viswanathaswami Temple. Three chariots proceeded through the lanes in the morning and evening, offering the residents their annual opportunity to seek the blessings of their deities from the comfort of their homes.
It was in 2019 that the chariot festival had taken place last in Kalpathy. Last year, COVID-19 had taken the sheen off the festival by reducing it to a symbolic one.
The giant chariot of Sree Viswanathaswami or Siva used to be the biggest attraction of the festival. However, the district administration has proscribed the movement of the giant chariot in view of the government restricting the festival to 200 people.
Only the people of Kalpathy were allowed to take part in the fest. The police blocked several access points and restricted people’s entry to Kalpathy.
