A festival with a beautiful name – Painkuni. Celebrated in the lands of backwaters, Kerala, this festival is celebrated at the
Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
The beginning of Painkuni Festival
The festival starts with kodiyettu, which marks the hoisting of the ceremonial flag. The festival flags are hoisted on the kodimaram or flag posts of Padmanabhaswami (the principal deity) and Thiruvambadi Krishnan. The flag is hoisted on the day of the Rohini asterism.
Processions in the Painkuni Festival
The festival envisages the placement of huge fiber-glass figures of the Pandavas (the five sons of Pandu in the Indian epic Mahabharata) at the eastern entrance to the temple. It is believed that these figures please Indra, the Rain God.
Painkuni Festival: A summation of many rituals
Painkuni is a ten-day festival; a summation of many rituals. The ninth day witnesses the Travancore Royal Family, which features the palli vetta (royal hunt) ritual, near the Vettakorumakan Temple in the Fort area.
Painkuni Festival: The Final Day
The festival culminates with the aaratt procession to the Shanghumugham Beach. It is where the followers immerse idols in the sea. The chief priests and the members of the royal family perform this ritual. It is the head of the royal family and other members of the family who escort deities to the water body. When the procession exits through the western gate of the temple, 1001 maroons (kathina) are burst. The grand festival concludes with the holy bath (aaratt) ceremony of the idol on the Atham asterism.
Important Dates
Start date: March 23, 2018
End date: March 31, 2018
How to Reach the festival:
Nearest railway station: Thiruvananthapuram Central, about 1 km
Nearest airport: Trivandrum International Airport, about 6 km
The Painkuni festival is festival of worshippers and followers. It is a festival which gives a new meaning to spiritual devotion to the entire Kerala, dwellers of which rejoice in the aura of spirituality.
