About this event
Every September the whole of Kalathy braids itself in white and turns out at the maidan. The Ratholsavam is a chariot festival that has run here for well over a hundred years: a carved multi-tiered rath is drawn through the village behind a procession of oil lamps, while men in white dhotis sing pallattu as they walk. Nothing about it is staged for visitors — it is a temple festival first and a spectacle second.
The centrepiece is the evening Swamini Amma pallattu, sung by the men of the village to their mother goddess, which runs until the lamps are put out. Between the procession and the pallattu there is time to walk the maidan, eat from the stalls at the edge, and watch the children being dressed for the evening.
We book groups of six or more and keep a reserved seated area on the maidan edge, which is otherwise hard to come by once the crowd builds. Transfers run from Palakkad town both ways.
How the evening runs
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15:30 Meet and welcome tea
We collect you from your hotel or the Palakkad town bus stand and drive the fifteen minutes to Kalathy. Filter coffee and tea on arrival while the maidan fills up.
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16:30 Temple procession opens
The evening procession sets out from the temple with the lamp-bearers in front. This is the quietest hour and the best light for photographs of the route.
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18:00 The rath reaches the maidan
The carved chariot is drawn into the maidan and set down under the lights. Stay in your reserved area for this — the best view of it is from the edge.
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19:30 Dinner at the temple kitchen
A full sadya served on the floor of the temple building — around twenty dishes, vegetarian, with payasam at the end.
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21:00 Swamini Amma pallattu
The songs the festival is actually built around, sung by the men of the village until the lamps are put out. No stage, no amplification worth speaking of.
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22:30 Return to Palakkad
Back at your hotel by half past ten, with the rest of the evening free.
What the price covers
Included
- Return transfers from Palakkad town
- Reserved seated area on the maidan
- Temple sadya dinner
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Welcome tea on arrival
- Festival lamp offering
Not included
- Travel to Palakkad
- Items bought at the festival stalls
- Tips and personal expenses
- Anything not listed under Included
Good to know
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 – 20 September, with the procession on the evening of the 19th |
| Venue | The maidan and temple at Kalathy village, about 15 km from Palakkad town |
| Group size | Minimum 6, maximum 40, so the group stays together in the crowd |
| Dress | Modest dress for the temple; traditional attire is welcome but not required |
| Languages | The pallattu is sung in Malayalam — your guide interprets as it goes |
| Weather | Runs in the monsoon; we move your start time back an hour if it is heavy |
| Parking | Available at the edge of the maidan, on a first-come basis |
The exact dates shift with the Malayalam calendar, so confirm a year ahead for the calendar. Once the temple calendar is published we lock the dates and let you know within a day.
Photos from this event
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The rath under the oil lamps
The caparisoned elephant
Torchlight before the shrine
The hills over the Palakkad Gap
Palm country at the edge of town
Craft stalls at the festival