PALAKKAD: Kalpathy Ratholsavam, one of Kerala's most remarkable temple festivals, will witness a renovated chariot rolling out on the second day this year. Mandakkara Maha Ganapathi Temple, one of the four temples taking part in the annual fest, is restoring its 300-year-old chariot with the help of artistic carpenters from Tamil Nadu.
"The renovated chariot will have six wheels and a 25 ft height, and we have entrusted some of the best artisans with the job," said Karimpuzha Raman, one of the chief organisers of the fest in this early Tamil Brahmin settlement, believed to be seven centuries old.
“The reason why we are renovating the chariot is that several wooden sculptures of gods and goddesses embedded on it has faded over three centuries and now the artists are making new ones using chariot wood (Venga).” Some 25 artisans from Palakkad and Tamil Nadu are working on the chariot, and the work is expected to be completed by September, two months ahead of the festival.
The replica of the idol of Maha Ganapathi will be taken out on this chariot which will get a Rs 75 lakh facelift, of which state government will chip in Rs 10 lakh. All the giant six wheels of the chariot are made of wood, and they are controlled using special brakes named Chenna. The chariot is taken out of the temple by the devotees by manually pulling the rope (Vadam) attached to it. Four temples at Kalpathi situated on the banks of Gayathri, a branch of Bharathapuzha, conduct the chariot fest held as per Tamil Brahmin tradition.
