Painkuni is one of the main annual festivals that is held at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The temple shares a rich history with the Travancore royal family. This festival witnesses an active participation of the Travancore royal families during the palli vetta (royal hunt) ritual near the Vettakkorumakan Temple in the fort area. The festival is celebrated in March and April. During palli vetta, the head of the royal family shoots young coconuts with a bow and arrow, symbolising Lord Vishnu (presiding deity of the temple) hunting the demon. This ritual takes place in front of the Sundara Vilasam Palace inside the Thiruvananthapuram Fort. This 10-day Painkuni festival starts with a Kodiyettu ceremony, which includes the hoisting of the ceremonial flag. During the Painkuni festival, huge fibreglass figures of the Pandavas are placed at the eastern entrance to the temple. As per popular beliefs, the statues of these popular figures are erected to please Indra – the god of rain. A ritual takes place each day. The Pallivetta ritual is held on the ninth day.
The festival ends with the arattu procession to Shanghumugham Beach for the ritual immersion of the idols in the sea. The male members of the Royal Family of Travancore, including the king, escort the deities in the procession. Due to this festival, flight services from the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport were suspended for five hours on April 21 for the smooth continuation of the holy Painkuni Arattu procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple across the runway. It was suspended from 4 pm to 9 pm.
The airport has been pausing operations and rescheduling flights twice every year for decades to enable the bi-annual centuries-old ceremonial procession of the shrine to pass through the runway. These rituals began centuries ago and have been continuing since the establishment of the airport in 1932.
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