Kalpathi Ratholsavam

• Nearest bus stand: Palakkad Stadium Bus Stand 3 km
• Nearest railway station:
  Palakkad Junction
  - 3 km
• Nearest airport: Coimbatore International Airport - 70 km

Kalpathy Viswanatha swamy temple is the oldest Siva temple in Malabar. It was built around 1425 AD.by Kombi Achan, the then Raja of Palakkad. Legend has it that a Brahmin widow named Lakshmiammal went to Banaras and brought Lingam and installed in the present site on the Southern bank of river Neela Bhagirathi. The location of the temple and steps leading to the river brings mind of a visitor the Banaras Temples on the bank of Ganges. Hence this temple is called "Kasiyil Pakuthi Kalpathy" (Half Banaras).

Kalpathy Car Festival is based on vedic Tamil Brahmin culture. The main centre of the festival is Kalpathy Sree Viswanathaswamy temple. The three satellite temples in the village of new Kalpathy, old Kalpathy and Chathapuram also celebrate the festival this period.

The festival is celebrated over a period of 10 days.

The Festival

The festival is conducted over a period of 10 days, usually 8 to 16 November. During this time, 6 chariots (rathas) from 4 temples of Kalpathy come together and circumvent streets of the villages in a grand procession. The 4+2 as follows: main chariot carrying Lord Shiva and additional 2 small chariots for his sons, Ganapathy and Murugan; chariots from the other 3 villages namely New Kalpathy with Lord Ganapathy, Old Kalpathy with Lord Krishna and Chathapuram with Lord Ganapathy. This is known as 'devarathasamgamam'.

Thousands of devotees converge at Kalpathy and pull the chariot every year.^[1]

2005 Pictures

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  Car Festival 2005
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  Devotees
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  Decorated Holy shrine
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References

External links

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