Flights will be closed for five hours tomorrow at Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala, the airport authority explained the reason

Flights at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala will remain closed for a few hours on Tuesday. Giving information, the Airport Authority said that it has been announced to suspend flight services for five hours on Tuesday. In an official statement, the airport said that services will remain suspended on November 1 ahead of the Alpassi Arattu procession to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.

Domestic and international flights rescheduled
Giving more detail, the airport authority said that domestic and international flights operating during this period have been rescheduled. During this, a procession will be taken out under the Alpasi Arattu festival. Flight services from the airport will remain suspended to ensure the smooth continuation and smooth conduct of this ritual of bathing the deity carried on by the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple for centuries.

This worship continues for thousands of years
The management of the centuries-old Vishnu temple has traditionally been continued for over 1,000 years by the family heirs of the temple, the erstwhile Travancore ruler Marthanda Varma.

Flights are closed every year
The airport suspends its flight services every year at the time of the traditional Arattu procession (arattu- the traditional bathing of the deity). During this procession, the idol of Lord Vishnu is taken to Shankumugham beach, which is just behind the airport in Thiruvananthapuram. On this occasion, a 'holy dip' is given to the deity twice a year.

This festival is held twice a year
Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) is issued before the airport is closed for the bi-annual festival. This festival is celebrated twice a year. The first festival at the beginning of the year takes place between March and April. After this, this festival is celebrated around October and November.

A procession is taken out after taking a dip on the beach
During the procession, priests in Garuda vehicle with richly ornamented veils, along with hundreds of people and four elephants, carry the Utsav Vigraha of the deities Padmanabhaswamy, Narasimha Murthy, and Krishna Swamy and walks through this long runway to Shankumugham Beach. After taking a dip on this beach the idols will be taken back to the temple in a procession with traditional torches, which marks the conclusion of this festival.