Tharoor joins Araattu procession as flights halt for Thiruvananthapuram's living tradition
Synopsis
On Vijayadashami, Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor marched in the Araattu procession from Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram — a centuries-old ritual so sacred that flights at the city's international airport are suspended to let caparisoned elephants and the Travancore royal descendant pass.
Key Takeaways
Shashi Tharoor participated in the Araattu procession from Padmanabhaswamy Temple on Vijayadashami .
The procession, held twice a year , involves caparisoned elephants carrying deities from four temples along a historic route.
Flight operations at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport are suspended to allow the procession to cross the airport route.
The procession is led by a descendant of the last Maharaja of Travancore , preserving a pre-independence royal tradition.
Tharoor was accompanied by Minister C.P.
John and other elected public representatives.
Flights stopped. Elephants marched. And a centuries-old royal ritual walked right across a modern airport runway — again. On Vijayadashami, Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor joined the iconic Araattu procession originating from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, one of the most remarkable intersections of living tradition and modern infrastructure anywhere in India.
Caparisoned elephants, four temples, one unmistakable route
The Araattu is a twice-yearly procession in which caparisoned elephants carry the presiding deities from four temples along a historic route that has remained unchanged for generations. The procession is led, by tradition, by a descendant of the last Maharaja of Travancore — a living thread connecting the pre-independence princely state to a republic that has long since absorbed it. Tharoor described joining 'the throngs marching in the traditional araattu procession,' walking alongside Minister C.P. John and other public representatives.
Where runways give way to ritual
What makes this procession globally singular is its geography: the historic route cuts directly across the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Flight operations are suspended to allow the procession to pass — a scheduling reality that requires advance coordination between the temple trust, airport authorities, and local administration. No other major Indian temple festival has a comparable claim on critical aviation infrastructure. The crowds that line the route come not just to watch, but to participate — a distinction Tharoor made pointedly in his post.
Kerala's royal rituals in a democratic frame
The Araattu is a vivid case study in how Kerala has preserved pre-independence royal ceremonial within a modern civic and administrative framework. The Travancore royal family's continued leadership of the procession is not a constitutional formality — it is a living practice, upheld by community consensus across decades of democratic governance. That elected representatives such as Tharoor and Minister John now march alongside Travancore's descendants is itself a quiet symbol: the ritual has not been archived, it has been adopted.
Point of View
It is a reminder that India's 'secularism' plays out not in the absence of religious practice from public life, but in the democratic accommodation of it.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Araattu procession at Padmanabhaswamy Temple?
The Araattu is a sacred procession held twice a year at the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in which caparisoned elephants carry the presiding deities from four temples along a centuries-old historic route. It is led by a descendant of the last Maharaja of Travancore.
Why are flights suspended during the Araattu procession in Thiruvananthapuram?
The traditional Araattu procession route passes directly across the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Authorities suspend flight operations during this period to allow the ritual procession to cross safely, a practice coordinated between the temple trust, airport authorities, and local administration.
How often does the Araattu procession take place?
The Araattu procession from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple takes place twice a year, coinciding with major Hindu festival seasons. One of the two annual processions falls on or around Vijayadashami (Dussehra).
Who leads the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Araattu procession?
By longstanding custom, the Araattu procession is led by a descendant of the last Maharaja of Travancore, preserving a pre-independence royal tradition within the modern democratic framework of Kerala.
Was Shashi Tharoor at the Araattu procession on Vijayadashami 2026?
Yes. Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor confirmed on social media that he joined the Araattu procession on Vijayadashami, walking alongside Minister C.P. John and other public representatives in Thiruvananthapuram.
