The State Government has permitted the conduct of the Kalpathy chariot festival in a restricted manner. Only 200 people can be allowed in open space and 100 inside the temple.
Following the government decision, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Friday issued a notice to the organisers of the festival seeking an action plan on conducting the festival from November 7 to 17 by restricting to 200 people.
District Collector Mrunmai Joshi sent the notice to the managing trustees of Kalpathy Sri Visalakshi Sametha Sri Viswanatha Swami Temple and Old Kalpathy Sri Lakshmi Narayana Perumal Temple, the Brahmaswam trustee of Chathapuram Prasanna Mahaganapathi Temple, and the secretary of New Kalpathy Manthakkara Mahaganapathi Temple. They have been asked to submit the action plan before 11 a.m. on Saturday.
“The DDMA will give permission for the festival on the basis of the action plan the organisers submit tomorrow (Saturday). The gathering should not exceed 200 at any cost,” said Additional District Magistrate Manikandan K.
Hopes dampened
The government decision restricting the festival to 200 people has dampened the hopes of the organisers, who had zestfully prepared for the annual event by sprucing up the chariots of respective deities.
The festival will now have to be conducted in a symbolic manner without allowing the crowds and by restricting to rituals without fanfare. The traditional chariot festival of Kalpathy used to attract thousands of people annually, turning the entire village into a fortnight-long carnival.
With the government restrictions, the festival will miss the giant chariots being pulled by hundreds of people. Pulling the chariot is considered an auspicious act, and hundreds of men usually come forward to take the deities around the village in their respective chariots.
However, according to the organisers, small chariots can be used even within the restrictions. The festival had not taken place in 2020 also because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
