The renovated wooden chariot of Chathapuram Prasanna Maha Ganapathy Temple rolled along the villages of Kalpathy on Sunday evening, marking its trial run after it underwent a major overhaul. Although 300-odd people pulled the 40-tonne chariot using large ropes, the car needed the push of a JCB earthmover from behind.
The trial run was preceded by such rites as rath puja, rath prathishta, and rath kumbhabhishekam. Prasanna Maha Ganapathy, the deity of the temple, was mounted on the chariot as part of the rites. However, the chariot did not carry the deity on its trial run along the villages.
Fifteen devotees in charge of controlling the chariot during its run were felicitated at a function. The carpenters who renovated the chariot were also honoured.
The office-bearers of the four temples involved in the Kalpathy car festival jointly released a pamphlet of the Ratholsavam being held from November 7 to 17.
Visalakshi Sametha Viswanatha Swamy Temple trustee V.K. Manikanda Varma, Manthakkara Mahaganapathy Temple Gramajana Samooham president K.S. Krishna, Old Kalpathy Lakshminarayana Perumal Temple managing trustee C.S. Krishnan, Chathapuram Prasanna Maha Ganapathy Temple secretary C.V. Murali, and Kerala Brahmana Sabha president Karimpuzha Raman jointly released the pamphlet.
The Department of Tourism offered ₹5 lakh for the renovation of the Chathapuram Prasanna Maha Ganapathy chariot following a joint appeal by the Kerala Brahmana Sabha and the Chathapuram Grama Samooham. Mr. Raman, in a statement here, thanked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas for sanctioning the funds.
As many as 10 carpenters from Permabalur in Tamil Nadu under the supervision of Manikandan Satpathy had worked for seven months to complete the renovation of the chariot. They used such timber as Indian kino (venga), Indian laurel (karimaruthu), Mahua (ilippa), East India walnut (karivaka), and teak for the renovation.
“We have retained wood for the axle and wheels of the chariot to preserve its originality and legacy,” said Mr. Murali. He said that the overhauling cost them ₹53 lakh.
Although the flag of the Kalpathy Ratholsavam will be hoisted on November 8, the chariots will roll along the villages on November 14, 15 and 16 by carrying their respective deities. There will be a total of six chariots, including that of the Chathapuram temple.
While the three chariots of the main Visalakshi Sametha Viswanatha Swami Temple will visit the agraharams of the four villages on all three days with deities of Siva, Ganapathy and Murugan on them, the chariot of Chathapuram Prasanna Maha Ganapathy Temple will carry its deity to the villages only on November 16.
