Air Traffic Halted for Alpassi Arattu Spectacle

Flight operations at the local international airport were paused for five hours to accommodate the Alpassi Arattu procession from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Led by Sree Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma, the procession featured royal members, devotees, and elephants, and concluded with a ceremonial dip at Shankumugham beach.

The international airport here witnessed an unusual five-hour suspension of services on Saturday afternoon for the 'Alpassi Arattu' procession, as stated by TIAL.

Flight operations resumed around 9 pm once the procession completed its route and returned to the temple. This pause allowed the traditional procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, led by Sree Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma, to make its way across the tarmac and towards Shankumugham beach.

Despite the modernity of air travel, this age-old tradition remains honoured, continuing unhindered even after the airport's establishment in 1932 and its recent management transition to the Adani Group.