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Saudi Gazette
15-04-2025
- Saudi Gazette
The Indian airport that halts flights for a religious procession
NEW DELHI — For a few hours on a warm April day, jets paused and silence reclaimed the skies above the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The airport's closure was not due to bad weather or a technical glitch, as one might assume, but to make way for a Hindu temple procession that marches right across its runway. Devotees pull ornate wooden chariots bearing temple idols along a 2km (1.2 miles) stretch of the runway, a tradition so revered that it shuts down operations for a few hours at the airport, which usually handles 90 landings and take-offs daily. Elephants, a common part of Hindu religious events in India, also walk on the runway. The event, which took place last Friday, is part of the annual Painkuni festival held by the famed Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, home to treasures worth billions of rupees. The procession, taken out on the final day of the 10-day festival, begins at the temple and heads through the runway to the Shanghumugham beach, around 6km away. When the procession arrives at the beach, priests give a ritual bath in the sea to the idols. The return journey follows the same route, crossing the runway again and reaching the temple. The procession is led by the head of the former royal family of Travancore, which built the airport in 1932. It's not clear when the festival and the procession started but the ritual has been followed since then, even when the management of the airport passed on to the government and then a private company. The airport is currently managed by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, owned by billionaire Gautam Adani's Group. The airport also shuts down operations for a few hours for a similar procession during the temple's Alpashi Festival, usually in October or November every year. The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is one of the few airports in the world that closes down for a religious event. Others include Indonesia's Ngurah Rai Airport during the Balinese Hindu new year and Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day in Judaism. But these are public holidays when the airport shuts down entirely and it's rare for a high-security runway to be used to actually facilitate a religious or cultural event. Rahul Bhatkoti, chief airport officer, said the airport was proud to have the opportunity to preserve the legacy of the temple's procession. "This is likely the only airport in the world which facilitates such a historic event," he told the BBC before the procession entered the airfield on Friday evening. Since the airport has only one runway, both domestic and international terminals are closed during the procession. Most of the international flights operating here are to and from the Middle East, where a large number of Indian workers, including many from Kerala, live and work. Airport authorities said they informed airlines of the closure two months in advance and 10 flights were rescheduled on the day. "The procession begins around 16:45 local time and takes approximately four hours to complete," Mahesh Balachandran, the temple's executive officer, told the BBC. Attendance at the event is limited and strictly monitored. Only senior royal family members, priests, officials and selected devotees are allowed to take part, and they must have special passes issued by the temple trust, along with security clearance from airport authorities. "The procession passes through the airport with full ritualistic vigor twice a year during the Painkuni and Alpashi festivals," Balachandran said. "It proceeds peacefully, without any incidents. Everything is planned meticulously." The Central Industrial Security Force, the paramilitary that handles airport security, barricades the entire runway for safety and manages the crowds. Authorities also monitor the crowd through surveillance cameras and inspect the runway carefully after the procession, officials said. The procession passing through the airport is a reminder of how "heritage and modernity co-exist here, every year", Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor wrote on X after last week's procession. — BBC
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
The Indian airport that halts flights for a divine procession
For a few hours on a warm April day, jets paused and silence reclaimed the skies above the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The airport's closure was not due to bad weather or a technical glitch, as one might assume, but to make way for a Hindu temple procession that marches right across its runway. Devotees pull ornate wooden chariots bearing temple idols along a 2km (1.2 miles) stretch of the runway, a tradition so revered that it shuts down operations for a few hours at the airport, which usually handles 90 landings and take-offs daily. Elephants, a common part of Hindu religious events in India, also walk on the runway. The event, which took place last Friday, is part of the annual Painkuni festival held by the famed Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, home to treasures worth billions of rupees. The procession, taken out on the final day of the 10-day festival, begins at the temple and heads through the runway to the Shanghumugham beach, around 6km away. When the procession arrives at the beach, priests give a ritual bath in the sea to the idols. The return journey follows the same route, crossing the runway again and reaching the temple. The procession is led by the head of the former royal family of Travancore, which built the airport in 1932. It's not clear when the festival and the procession started but the ritual has been followed since then, even when the management of the airport passed on to the government and then a private company. The airport is currently managed by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, owned by billionaire Gautam Adani's Group. The airport also shuts down operations for a few hours for a similar procession during the temple's Alpashi Festival, usually in October or November every year. The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is one of the few airports in the world that closes down for a religious event. Others include Indonesia's Ngurah Rai Airport during the Balinese Hindu new year and Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day in Judaism. But these are public holidays when the airport shuts down entirely and it's rare for a high-security runway to be used to actually facilitate a religious or cultural event. Rahul Bhatkoti, chief airport officer, said the airport was proud to have the opportunity to preserve the legacy of the temple's procession. "This is likely the only airport in the world which facilitates such a historic event," he told the BBC before the procession entered the airfield on Friday evening. Since the airport has only one runway, both domestic and international terminals are closed during the procession. Most of the international flights operating here are to and from the Middle East, where a large number of Indian workers, including many from Kerala, live and work. Airport authorities said they informed airlines of the closure two months in advance and 10 flights were rescheduled on the day. "The procession begins around 16:45 local time and takes approximately four hours to complete," Mahesh Balachandran, the temple's executive officer, told the BBC. Attendance at the event is limited and strictly monitored. Only senior royal family members, priests, officials and selected devotees are allowed to take part, and they must have special passes issued by the temple trust, along with security clearance from airport authorities. "The procession passes through the airport with full ritualistic vigour twice a year during the Painkuni and Alpashi festivals," Mr Balachandran said. "It proceeds peacefully, without any incidents. Everything is planned meticulously." The Central Industrial Security Force, the paramilitary which handles airport security, barricades the entire runway for safety and manages the crowds. Authorities also monitor the crowd through surveillance cameras and inspect the runway carefully after the procession, officials said. The procession passing through the airport is a reminder of how "heritage and modernity co-exist here, every year", Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor wrote on X after last week's procession. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
The Indian airport that halts flights for a divine procession
For a few hours on a warm April day, jets paused and silence reclaimed the skies above the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The airport's closure was not due to bad weather or a technical glitch, as one might assume, but to make way for a Hindu temple procession that marches right across its runway. Devotees pull ornate wooden chariots bearing temple idols along a 2km (1.2 miles) stretch of the runway, a tradition so revered that it shuts down operations for a few hours at the airport, which usually handles 90 landings and take-offs daily. Elephants, a common part of Hindu religious events in India, also walk on the runway. The event, which took place last Friday, is part of the annual Painkuni festival held by the famed Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, home to treasures worth billions of rupees. The procession, taken out on the final day of the 10-day festival, begins at the temple and heads through the runway to the Shanghumugham beach, around 6km away. When the procession arrives at the beach, priests give a ritual bath in the sea to the idols. The return journey follows the same route, crossing the runway again and reaching the temple. The procession is led by the head of the former royal family of Travancore, which built the airport in 1932. It's not clear when the festival and the procession started but the ritual has been followed since then, even when the management of the airport passed on to the government and then a private company. The airport is currently managed by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, owned by billionaire Gautam Adani's Group. The airport also shuts down operations for a few hours for a similar procession during the temple's Alpashi Festival, usually in October or November every year. The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is one of the few airports in the world that closes down for a religious event. Others include Indonesia's Ngurah Rai Airport during the Balinese Hindu new year and Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day in Judaism. But these are public holidays when the airport shuts down entirely and it's rare for a high-security runway to be used to actually facilitate a religious or cultural event. Rahul Bhatkoti, chief airport officer, said the airport was proud to have the opportunity to preserve the legacy of the temple's procession. "This is likely the only airport in the world which facilitates such a historic event," he told the BBC before the procession entered the airfield on Friday evening. Since the airport has only one runway, both domestic and international terminals are closed during the procession. Most of the international flights operating here are to and from the Middle East, where a large number of Indian workers, including many from Kerala, live and work. Airport authorities said they informed airlines of the closure two months in advance and 10 flights were rescheduled on the day. "The procession begins around 16:45 local time and takes approximately four hours to complete," Mahesh Balachandran, the temple's executive officer, told the BBC. Attendance at the event is limited and strictly monitored. Only senior royal family members, priests, officials and selected devotees are allowed to take part, and they must have special passes issued by the temple trust, along with security clearance from airport authorities. "The procession passes through the airport with full ritualistic vigour twice a year during the Painkuni and Alpashi festivals," Mr Balachandran said. "It proceeds peacefully, without any incidents. Everything is planned meticulously." The Central Industrial Security Force, the paramilitary which handles airport security, barricades the entire runway for safety and manages the crowds. "We also monitor the crowd through surveillance cameras. After the procession, the runway is inspected to ensure safety and security," said Mahesh Gupthan, the airport's corporate communications manager. The procession passing through the airport is a reminder of how "heritage and modernity co-exist here, every year", Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor wrote on X after last week's procession. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.
BBC News
15-04-2025
- BBC News
Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian airport that halts flights for a divine procession
For a few hours on a warm April day, jets paused and silence reclaimed the skies above the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southern Indian state of airport's closure was not due to bad weather or a technical glitch, as one might assume, but to make way for a Hindu temple procession that marches right across its pull ornate wooden chariots bearing temple idols along a 2km (1.2 miles) stretch of the runway, a tradition so revered that it shuts down operations for a few hours at the airport, which usually handles 90 landings and take-offs daily. Elephants, a common part of Hindu religious events in India, also walk on the event, which took place last Friday, is part of the annual Painkuni festival held by the famed Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, home to treasures worth billions of rupees. The procession, taken out on the final day of the 10-day festival, begins at the temple and heads through the runway to the Shanghumugham beach, around 6km away. When the procession arrives at the beach, priests give a ritual bath in the sea to the idols. The return journey follows the same route, crossing the runway again and reaching the procession is led by the head of the former royal family of Travancore, which built the airport in 1932. It's not clear when the festival and the procession started but the ritual has been followed since then, even when the management of the airport passed on to the government and then a private airport is currently managed by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, owned by billionaire Gautam Adani's Group. The airport also shuts down operations for a few hours for a similar procession during the temple's Alpashi Festival, usually in October or November every Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is one of the few airports in the world that closes down for a religious event. Others include Indonesia's Ngurah Rai Airport during the Balinese Hindu new year and Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day in Judaism. But these are public holidays when the airport shuts down entirely and it's rare for a high-security runway to be used to actually facilitate a religious or cultural event. Rahul Bhatkoti, chief airport officer, said the airport was proud to have the opportunity to preserve the legacy of the temple's procession."This is likely the only airport in the world which facilitates such a historic event," he told the BBC before the procession entered the airfield on Friday the airport has only one runway, both domestic and international terminals are closed during the of the international flights operating here are to and from the Middle East, where a large number of Indian workers, including many from Kerala, live and work. Airport authorities said they informed airlines of the closure two months in advance and 10 flights were rescheduled on the day."The procession begins around 16:45 local time and takes approximately four hours to complete," Mahesh Balachandran, the temple's executive officer, told the BBC. Attendance at the event is limited and strictly monitored. Only senior royal family members, priests, officials and selected devotees are allowed to take part, and they must have special passes issued by the temple trust, along with security clearance from airport authorities. "The procession passes through the airport with full ritualistic vigour twice a year during the Painkuni and Alpashi festivals," Mr Balachandran said. "It proceeds peacefully, without any incidents. Everything is planned meticulously." The Central Industrial Security Force, the paramilitary which handles airport security, barricades the entire runway for safety and manages the crowds."We also monitor the crowd through surveillance cameras. After the procession, the runway is inspected to ensure safety and security," said Mahesh Gupthan, the airport's corporate communications procession passing through the airport is a reminder of how "heritage and modernity co-exist here, every year", Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor wrote on X after last week's procession. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.
The Guardian
09-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Bridget Jones and NY fashion week: photos of the weekend
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the opening ceremony in BC Place Stadium at the start of Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock A model walks the runway during the Pet Couturier Anthony Rubio autumn/winter 2025 Canine Couture show during New York fashion week Photograph: Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images South Korea's Choi Minjeong (3rd left) in action with athletes during the women's 1000m quarter final of the short-track speed skating at the x2025 - Asian Winter Games Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters Renée Zellweger attends the Australian premiere of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter Photograph:Hawaii's Barron Mamiya competes to win the men's event of 2025 Lexus Pipe Pro at Pipeline on the north shore in Hawaii Photograph: Brian Bielmann/AFP/Getty Images A model presents a creation from the Blonds during New York fashion week Photograph: David Dee Delgado/Reuters Balinese Hindu devotees bathe in the holy springs at the water temple of Tirta Empul during the Banyu Pinaruh purification ritual. Banyu Pinaruh is a Balinese Hindu ritual where people bathe in the sea, rivers or sacred springs to cleanse themselves spiritually and seek wisdom Photograph: Made Nagi/EPA Displaced Palestinians cross the corridor as they make their way to the northern parts of the Gaza Strip Photograph: Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva attend a photocall for the 39th annual Goya film awards Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTres/Rex/Shutterstock Police use water cannon to disperse activists from India's Congress party as they take part in a protest against the US government and Donald Trump. India's foreign minister threatened a crackdown on illegal migration on 6 February, a day after a US military aircraft flew back 104 migrants as part of Trump's immigration overhaul Photograph: AFP/Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the ministry of national defence on the anniversary of the day the Korean People's Army was founded Photograph: KCNA/Reuters Pro-Palestinian protesters attend a demonstration as they march towards the Victoria state library Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP Jewish supporters and allies of Israel attend a protest outside the Victoria parliament Photograph: Diego Fedele/EPA Aerial view of giant tree-shaped patterns on the frozen Qiantang River during sunrise after the tide receded in Zhejiang Province. Amid a continuing cold wave, the natural formation of forest patterns appeared on the frozen mud flats, also known as 'tidal trees' Photograph: VCG/Getty Images Charli XCX performs at the 2025 Laneway festival at Brisbane Showgrounds in Queensland Photograph: Henry Redcliffe A man (left) assists his father in looking through his home destroyed by the Palisades fire in California Photograph: Mark Edward Harris/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock A Ukrainian soldier sits near shells as he and a colleague await the command to fire an M777 Howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on the frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine Photograph: Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters Aerial view of people enjoying Recreio dos Bandeirantes beach during a heat wave Photograph: Tercio Teixeira/AFP/Getty Images People trek through the caverns and snow at Ice Castles in New Hampshire. Since 2011, Ice Castles has been dedicated to creating a world of ice caves, frozen waterfalls and glaciers formed into archways, caverns, slides, and tunnels Photograph: Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images
