Thiruvananthapuram International Airport will be closed for over four hours on April 11 to facilitate the "Painkuni Arattu" procession of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The procession, which involves taking the temple idols to Shangumugham Beach for a ritual bath, crosses the airport runway. The airport will be closed from 4.45 pm to 9 pm on April 11. This tradition dates back centuries and continues even after the airport's establishment in 1932. Flights will be rescheduled during this period.
Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy has said that the state government would not stake any claim to the treasure, valued at Rs 1 lakh crore, which was uncovered at Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
'What a saint he was. What a godly person he was.'
'Rs 1.25 crore is the monthly expense we are able to hardly get 60-70 lakh rupees therefore we have sought certain directions,' the temple told SC.
Attacking the PM Modi over alleged ignorance of local leaders, Tharoor said, "It seems that under the BJP even God must serve a political purpose and members of other parties must not be allowed to worship in the prime ministerial presence."
'Simplicity was very much a hallmark of the Kerala lifestyle those days.'
According to custom, only believers of Hinduism are permitted entry at the temple, a major pilgrim centre and tourist attraction in the southern part of the country.
The Supreme Court today ordered that former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai will supervise special audit of property of Kerala's famous Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, which is facing charges of financial irregularites, and constituted a new administrative committee headed by District Judge, Thiruvananthapuram.
While Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan questioned 'the haste shown' in reopening the temples, state Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the decision was only in line with the Centre's guidelines in allowing places of worship to permit entry of devotees.
Key to Modi's plan will be the interest rates offered for gold deposits.
'I didn't get any recognition in Kerala for this film and it has definitely hurt me. When the whole world is celebrating the return of Sanskrit, my state is busy ignoring it.' Vinod Mankara talks about his award-winning film, Priyamanasam.