THE 10-DAY KALPATHY FESTIVAL IS NOTABLE FOR CHARIOTS AND MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA FOR THE TOURIST
The Kalpathy is a place
in a district of Palakkad in Kerala, India. Kalpathy is situated just 3 km away from Palakkad town and two km from nearest railway station in Olavakkode. A branch of
Bharathapuzha runs through Kalpathy and once it enters the Kalpathy it acquires the place name and become Kalpathy River. On the banks of Kalpathy river there is a temple Viswanathaswamy temple (kundampalam), Lord shiva being the main deity. It is believed that deity was brought from holy Ganges at Varanasi, and sage Bana had worshipped in the temple. A stone inscription in the front of the temple proclaims that it was built in Malayalam year 600(1425AD) by Itti Kombi Achan, the then raja of Palakkad.Legend has it that One Lakshmy Amma, a widow of Sekhari Puram came back from Kashi and gave the prince Itikombi Achan 1320 gold coins in 1424-25 AD and requested him to build the temple of Siva. The main attraction of the temple is the rolling of so-called rathams or chariot through the streets of four agraharams (Brahmin villages) of kalpathy between November 14 and 16 every year. The only comparison that can be made is famous car festival of Puri Jagannatha Swamy temple of Orissa.
ABOUT THE ORGIN OF THE FESTIVAL
The festival begins on November 7 and ends on November 16.The kalpathy car festival is perhaps the biggest festival of the then Malabar in the erstwhile Madras presidency. The festival is based on the Vedic Tamil Brahmins culture. Tamil Brahmins who migrated to Palakkad in the 14th century established 96 agraharam (Brahmin villages) in the Palakkad district and 18 within the town. All the Agraharams have temples and rathotsavam is celebrated at one time or the other during the year. The festival starts with kalpathy in the last week of Aippasi, which synchronises with festival celebrated in Mayiladuthurai in Thanjavur district and ends with festival celebrated in Tirunellai village in the second week of Vaikasi. In short chariot festival is spread over nearly six months in Agraharams, one village or the other celebrating the festival. The explanation of different timing of these festivals can be easily found.
THE MAIN FESTIVAL
The main festival begins on November 7 and ends on November 16.In rathotsvam or chariot festival, the Vedic rites are given more importance because the Vedas are considered as the breathing of supreme and they help infuse strength and power in diety. Though Brahmin settlers celebrate these festivals, equal rights are given to other community as well. For example 5th day celebration is privilege of Komuti chettiars of pattikara and rights to dismount the deity from Viswanathaswamy temple is the privilege of Thoni palayam chettiars.
The rituals inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and mode of worship are strictly in accordance with the Tamil Brahmin culture. Practices out side the temple like drum beating, decoration or chariot, are truly Kerala style. As the part of chariot festival
carnatic music festival is also organied.
THE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF THE FESTIVAL
Every day of the festival Vedic racitals are held in the temple, and the cultural programmes conducted in the evenings. On the last three days beautifully decorated temple chariots are ceremoniously drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees whose soul stirring chants rent the air.
The RISHABHA VAHANA PROCESSION: takes place at night on the fifth day, with the deities from all the temples taken out in decorated chariot and they meet at western end of new kalpathy village ground around midnight, dispersing then after two hours. Deity from Viswanathaswamy temple is taken out and installed in the three cars, one for the main deity Viswanathaswamy and consort goddess Parvathy; the second for Vigneshwara and third for lord Subrahmanniyaswamy. The radhams set around 10 in the morning and going around all the villages these three radhams return to the base on 30th (AIPPASI=TAMIL MONTH) evening around sunset.
On concluding day: The deities of Old kalpathy temple and Chathapuram temple mount on chariot and start grama pradakshinam (through villages) of all villages and by sun set all the chariot return to the base. Abishekams (offering with rituals) are done and deities are redecorated and taken out on procession in floral palanquins around midnight. The palanquins return to the temple at dawn on the first day of the Tamil month of Karthigai coinciding with the Kadamukham festival in Mailaduthurai.
LINK:http://wikimapia.org/1467344/New-Kalpathy-Village-Agraharam