Kerala airport halts flights for 5 hours for religious procession
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Flight services from the international airport here were suspended for about five hours on Thursday afternoon to make way for the 'Alpassi Arattu' procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple here.
The flight services were halted around 4.45 pm and resumed at 9 pm after the procession returned back to the temple, TIAL said.
The airport has been pausing operations and rescheduling flights twice every year for decades to enable the bi-annual centuries-old ceremonial procession of the shrine to pass through the runway.
Sree Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma, the present head of the erstwhile Travancore royal family, sporting the traditional green silk cap, an emerald necklace and carrying the ceremonial sword, led the religious procession from the temple to the Shankumugham beach across the airport tarmac.
He was accompanied by a small contingent of police personnel.
The procession began from the shrine at around 5.00 pm and besides the male members of the royal family, a large number of devotees, several caparisoned elephants, a squad of mounted police and a police band were also part of the procession.
The procession moved along the tarmac and reached the beach to the sound of trumpets and drum beats.
After entering the airport premises, the "utsava Vigrahas" (idols) of Padmanabha Swamy, Narasimha Moorthy and Krishna Swami, were kept at the "arattu mandapam" near the runway for some time and later taken to the nearby beach for the rituals.
After a dip in the sea off Shankumugham beach, the idols were then taken back to the shrine in a procession lit by traditional torches marking the conclusion of the festival.
The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (TIAL) shared photos of the procession in a Facebook post in which it said, "Amidst the rhythm of devotion and the serenity of the moment, the sacred Arattu procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple made its ceremonial passage through our runway, a moment where tradition takes flight.
"At #ThiruvananthapuramAirport, we take immense pride in witnessing this timeless ritual unfold, symbolising a beautiful confluence of faith, culture, and modernity."
Flight services resumed at around 9 pm after the procession returned to the temple and the tarmac was cleaned and declared fit for air operations, an airport source said.
The practice of the temple procession passing through the route to reach the Shangumugham beach for the holy bath of the idols began centuries ago, and it has been continuing even after the establishment of the airport in 1932.
When the airport was constructed in the particular place, the then Travancore King Sree Chithira Thirunal had made it clear that facility would be open for public for 363 days in a year and for two days for Lord Padmanabha, the titular deity of the royal family, according to historians.
The royal-era ritual has been continuing even after the Adani Group took over the management of the airport.
The airport issues a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) twice every year before the runway is closed during the bi-annual Alpassi festival which falls in October-November and the Painkuni festival in March-April.
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National Herald case: Shivakumar to seek time next week to appear before Delhi police
New Delhi/Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said he will ask for time from Delhi police to appear before them next week, to provide required information as part of the probe into the National Herald case.
He said he will seek time after the ongoing winter session of Karnataka legislature ends on December 19. He will also ask the Delhi police to provide him the FIR copy.
Shivakumar, who is in the national capital, had earlier said that he will appear before the Delhi police on Monday. But, he postponed the plan in order to rush back to Karnataka to participate in the last rites of veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, scheduled later in the day in Davangere.
"I had to go (to appear before the Delhi police), but I have to go back urgently. I'm asking them for time, stating that I will come next week," Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi.
"They (Delhi police) have not attached the FIR copy while issuing notice to me. I need FIR copy, because we had already given all the required replies to the ED. I don't know what the FIR says, I only read in papers. They have given notice, I will ask for a FIR copy. I will come next week after the Assembly session."
The Delhi Police had issued a notice to Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress chief, seeking financial and transactional details as part of its probe into the National Herald case.
The notice issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) states that Shivakumar is "supposed to be having vital information" pertaining to the National Herald case registered on October 3 this year, against top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In the notice dated November 29, the EOW had asked Shivakumar to appear before it or provide the requested information by December 19 latest.
Investigators have sought details about his personal background, his association with the Congress party, and a complete break up of funds allegedly transferred by him or associated entities to Young Indian.
To a question on meeting AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, amid the ongoing power tussle between him and CM Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister post, Shivakumar said when he comes to Delhi, he usually meets every one.
"Whether it is Surjewala or Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) or Venugopal, I will meet everyone. During lunch yesterday I met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. I have met everyone. What's wrong?" he asked.
Shivakumar was in Delhi to take part in Congress' "Vote Chori" rally on Sunday, and had also participated in the lunch organised by the party for its leaders.
Responding to a question, whether any meeting is planned with leaders today, the Deputy CM said, he and Kharge will be travelling together to Karnataka, to pay last respects to Shamanuru Shivashankarappa.
Asked if he will seek time for a separate meeting with Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi, during the next visit to Delhi, Sivakumar said, "such things will be there between us in the party.... you don't worry."
