Permanent Pictorial Cancellation inaugural day covers

Description: The Kalpathy Chariot Festival is an annual temple festival celebrated in Kalpathy, located in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala. During this festival, worship is offered to Sri Viswanatha Swamy an incarnation of Lord Shiva and his consort, Visalakshi (also known as Parvati). This is the oldest Shiva temple in the Malabar region. It was constructed around 1425 AD by Komby Achan, the then-King of Palakkad. Legend has it that a Brahmin widow travelled to Banaras, brought back a Shiva Lingam, and consecrated it at the present site situated on the southern bank of the Nila (Bhagirathi) River. 

The temple's location and the steps leading down to the river remind visiting devotees of the temples of Kashi, situated on the banks of the River Ganges. For this reason, the temple is referred to as "Kashiyil Pakuthi Kalpathy" (Kalpathy is half of Kashi). The Kalpathy Chariot Festival celebrated here is rooted in Vedic Tamil Brahmin culture. The focal point of this festival is the Sri Viswanatha Swamy Temple located in Kalpathy. Additionally, the festival is celebrated simultaneously at three other temples situated in the villages of New Kalpathy, Old Kalpathy, and Chathapuram. 

The festival spans a total of ten days. During this period, a total of six chariots from the four temples of Kalpathy converge and proceed through the village streets in a grand procession. Lord Shiva is seated upon the main chariot, accompanied by his sons Ganapathi and Murugan who ride on two smaller chariots. Furthermore, three additional chariots from other villages join this procession: Lord Ganapathi's chariot from New Kalpathy, Lord Krishna's chariot from Old Kalpathy, and Lord Ganapathi's chariot from Chathapuram. This event is known as 'Devaratha Sangamam' (The Confluence of Divine Chariots). Every year, thousands of devotees gather in Kalpathy to pull these chariots.