Thiruvananthapuram: On November 9, flight services from Kerala's capital city's international airport will be suspended for five hours. From 4 pm to 9 pm, the airport's runway will serve as one of the routes for the historic 'Alpassi Arattu' procession of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, considered the world's richest Hindu temple.
Traditionally, the centuries-old procession from the temple to the Shanghumugham beach proceeds by crossing the runway. The airport runways are closed every year for the processions of the bi-annual Alpassi festival that falls in October-November and the Painkuni festival of March-April. Even after the airport was established in 1932, the rituals continued to keep the culture and traditions intact. 

Updated flight timings
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What is Alpassi festival?
Cultural experts say the word 'alpassi' is connected with harvest celebration and agricultural cycles. The festival honours Lord Vishnu's presence as Padmanabhaswamy in Thiruvananthapuram, and the renewal of faith and commitment of devotees' beliefs. Thousands of devotees take part in the Alpassi arattu procession, and it is known for bringing together people of various communities as well.
The procession consists of priests in Garuda Vahanas (a chariot depicting Lord Vishnu's vehicle, Garuda), four decked-up elephants, and the devotees who carry Utsav Vigrahas (idols) of deities Padmanabhaswamy, Narasimha Moorthy, and Krishna Swami. After they take a dip in the beach, the idols are carried to the temple with another procession marked with traditional torches, thus concluding the festival. 
When the airport was constructed in Thiruvananthapuram, the then Travancore King Sree Chithira Thirunal promised that the airport would be open to the public for 363 days in a year, but two days for Lord Padmanabha's festivals. The practice has continued since then. 

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