When is Kalpathi Ratholsavam? Know date and significance of chariot festival in Kerala's Palakkad

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Nov 7, 2024, 2:48 PM IST

The Kalpathi Ratholsavam (Kalpathi Chariot Festival) is an annual Hindu temple festival held in Kalpathi, a village in Palakkad district, Kerala. The Kalpathi Ratholsavam will be celebrated from November 13–15 this year at the Sri Visalakshi Sametha Sri Viswanatha Swamy Temple.

The Kalpathi Ratholsavam (Kalpathy Chariot Festival) is a yearly Hindu temple festival celebrated in Kalpathi, a village in the Palakkad district of Kerala. This festival takes place at the Sri Visalakshi Sametha Sri Viswanatha Swamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva (Lord Viswanatha) and his consort, Visalakshi, a manifestation of Goddess Parvati.

The Kalpathi Ratholsavam will take place from November 13 to 15 this year at the Sree Viswanatha Swamy Temple.

Significance:

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The Kalpathi Ratholsavam, a ten-day annual festival held in November, is one of Kerala's most iconic celebrations. The first four days are marked by Vedic recitations and cultural performances at the temple, and the festival is believed to be over 700 years old. During the final three days, thousands of devotees come together to pull beautifully adorned temple chariots through the streets.

The historic Sri Viswanatha Swamy Temple, located by the banks of the Kalpathi River (also known as the Nila River), was established in 1425. Due to its similarities to the renowned Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, located along the Ganges River in North India, the Kalpathi temple is affectionately referred to as Kasiyil Pakuthi Kalpathy — meaning "Kalpathy is half Kashi."

How is the chariot festival celebrated?

The Kalpathi Ratholsavam spans 10 days and features a grand procession of 6 chariots from 4 temples in Kalpathy. The procession includes a main chariot carrying Lord Shiva, along with two smaller chariots for his sons Ganapathy and Murugan. The other three chariots represent the villages of New Kalpathy (with Lord Ganapathy), Old Kalpathy (with Lord Krishna), and Chathapuram (with Lord Ganapathy). This event, called 'Devarathasamgamam', draws thousands of devotees who come to Kalpathy to participate in pulling the chariots each year.

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