- Kalpathi Ratholsavam
Kalpathi (Kalpathy) Ratholsavam (Kalpathi
Chariot Festival) is an annualHindu Temple festival in theKalpathi village ofPalakkad district inKerala state,south India . The festival is at theSri Visalakshi Sametha Sri Viswanatha Swamy temple where thedeities are Lord Siva (Lord Viswanatha) and his consort Visalakshi, another name forParvati .The annual ten day chariot festival conducted here during the month of November is one of the most remarkable festivals of Kerala. Vedic recitals and cultural programmes are held in the temple during the first four days of the festival. This is believed to be over 700 years old. On the last three days, thousands of devotees gather together to draw decorated temple
chariots through the streets.The ancient temple nestles by the banks of the Kalpathy river which is also known as the "Nila" river. The temple dates back to 1425 A.D. The similarities to the famous
Varanasi Kashi Vishwanath temple on the banks of the Ganges in North India gives this temple the moniker: "kasiyil pakuthi kalpathy"-- Kalpathy is half Kashi. Kalpathi (Kalpathy), as the village or "agraharam" in which the temple is situated is known, is an early TamilBrahmin settlement.How to get there
* Nearest town:
Palakkad - 3 km
* Nearest railway station:Olavakot -Palakkad - 1 km
* Nearest airport:Coimbatore - 55 kmKalpathy Viswanatha swamy temple is the oldest Siva temple in Malabar. It was build 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.
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