Thiruvananthapuram Sets the Stage for the Magnificent Navarathri Festival

With the Navarathri Festival around the corner, Thiruvananthapuram is gearing up to welcome the spectacular Navarathri procession from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. This tradition's roots can be traced back to 1839, during the reign of Maharaja of Travancore, Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, and it has fostered a cultural bridge between the two states.

This ceremonial journey that commenced in Tamil Nadu on October 11th and 12th, featuring Navarathri idols of Saraswati Devi, Kumaraswamy, Silver Horse, and Suchindram Devi (Munnootti Nanga), will arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on October 14th.

The Kerala government will officially receive the procession with a ceremonial welcome at the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border in Kaliakkavilai. 

The idols carried in the procession will be placed in different temples across the city, where poojas or religious ceremonies will be performed for 13 days from October 14th to October 26th. The idol of Saraswati Devi and the sacred sword (udaval) will be placed in the Navarathri Mandapam near the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Silver Horse weighing over 1000 kilograms and Kumaraswamy idol in Aryasala Devi temple, and Suchindram Devi and Her Palanquin will be placed in Chenthitta Devi Temple. Navarathri draws in thousands of devotees to these temples, to seek blessings from the deities.

The idols will return to their respective temples on October 28th and 29th following the Navarathri Mahotsavam. Thousands of devotees will gather on either side of the road to see this grand procession. Each year, the Navarathri Mahotsavam has been a magnet for tourists, both domestic and international, leading to a significant upsurge in the number of visitors to the state. This, in effect, will have a positive impact on tourism across various attractions in Thiruvananthapuram.

Thiruvananthapuram will also be the venue for the highly acclaimed Navarathri Music Festival (Navarathri Sangeetholsavam), which ranks among the country's oldest music festivals, taking place at the Navarathri Mandapam in the Fort Palace Complex. This festival is a coming together of nationally acclaimed classical musicians at the festival. The capital city will be abuzz with more art and cultural festivals, as part of this festival.

This year, the Navarathri Festival will be held from October 15th to October 24th in the city.