Preparations under way for Kalpathy chariot festival in Keralam’s Palakkad

File photo of the Kalpathy chariot festival in Palakkad. Preparations are under way for the Kalpathy chariot festival in Keralam’s Palakkad, which will be held from November 7 to 17. The main chariot celebrations will take place from November 14 to 16.The festival committees of the four temples at Kalpathy have begun coordinating preparations. Representatives and trustees of Sree Visalakshi Sametha Viswanathaswamy Temple, Mandakkara Sree Mahaganapathy Temple, Sree Lakshminarayana Perumal Temple and Sree Prasanna Mahaganapathy Temple attended the first coordination meeting at Kalpathy on Saturday.The six chariots associated with the four temples will begin their procession through the village on November 14. The processions will continue on November 15 and 16, with the Ratha Sangamam scheduled for the evening of November 16. The festival will conclude with Aarattu and the lowering of the festival flag on November 17.The organisers are coordinating with government departments and local bodies on traffic management, parking, security, sanitation, drinking water and electricity. Special arrangements will also be sought for senior citizens and other visitors.A joint representation has been submitted to the Palakkad district administration and municipality seeking support for road maintenance, traffic regulation, parking and other essential services during the festival.Rituals during festivalThe festival will begin with Vastubali and Shanti Homam on the evening of November 7, followed by flag-hoisting at the four temples on the morning of November 8. Vedic scholars from different parts of the country will take part in Chaturveda recitations and temple rituals during the festival.Special arrangements will be made for devotees to witness the Pallakku-Ratha Sangamam at midnight on November 12.As part of the preparations, a joint publication covering the festival, temples and Kalpathy’s agraharams will be released at Viswanathaswamy Temple on October 8. Published - September 20, 2026 08:46 pm IST