KALPATHY RATHOLSAVAM

The festival centres round the Viswanathaswamy Temple on the banks of the Nila river at Kalpathy. According to mythology, the deity was brought from the holy Ganga at Varanasi and the great Bana had worshipped in the temple. The Car Festival is celebrated in the last week of the Tamil month of Aippasi. The festival starts on the 22nd day of Aippasi and concludes on the last day of the month. The main centre of the festival is Kalpathy Sree Viswanathaswamy Temple. The three satellite temples in the village of Manthakkara Maha Ganapathy Temple (New Kalpathy), Lakshmi Narayana Perumal Temple(Old Kalpathy) and Prasanna Maha Ganaathy (Chathapuram) also celebrate the festival during this time.

The "Dhwaja Arohanam" takes place on the 2nd day in all the four temples. On the fifth day of the festival, the famous Rishabha Vahana procession is taken out in the night, with the deities from all the temples taken out in decorated cars. They converge at the western end of the New Kalpathy village ground around midnight. Competitions are regularly held for percussionists. This attracts thousands of people from villages around Kalpathy and other parts of the district and outside.

On the seventh day, the 28th day of Aippasi, the deity from Viswanathaswamy Temple is taken out and installed in three cars, one for the main deity Sree Viswanathaswamy and his consort Goddess Parvathy, the second for Vigneswara and the third for Lord Subramaniaswamy. The chariots set out on village tour around 10 a.m. After going around all the villages the three chariots return to the base on the 30th day around sunset. The "Kuthira Vahanam" procession held on the same day is very famous and the Youngsters' Association conducts the same and this attracts huge crowd during night.

CHATHURTHI & NAVARATHRI

Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrated on the birthday (rebirth) of the lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival. This is held normally during August - September every year. On the morning of Vinayaka Chathurthi day Ganapathi Homam with 1024 coconuts and proportionate other 8 items is performed early morning. Simultaneously a special Rudrabhishekam is also performed. In the evening, the deity is taken in procession through the village with Nadaswaram.

Navarathri festival is also celebrated in our temple. Rudrabhishekam in the morning and Kramarchana in the evening are performed on all the 9 days. On the Vijayadashami day, the deity is taken in procession through the village with Nadaswaram and Asura Nigrahom ( Vazha Vettal ) is conducted.