THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple authorities have urged the government to retain the Vallakadavu bridge using modern strengthening methods as the construction of the new bridge would affect the traditional conduct of the Aarat procession. In a letter sent to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the temple executive officer K N Satheesh urged that the present moves to demolish the existing bridge should be dropped considering the traditional values of the bridge.

Moreover construction of a new bridge would affect the smooth conduct of the Aarat procession as the width and structure of the route through which the Aarat procession would have to proceed may change. “It could be learnt that as per the existing plan, the new bridge proposed to be constructed by demolishing the existing bridge may reduce the width of the bridge. Moreover the service road through which the Aarat procession will have to proceed will be a few feet beneath the approach road of the bridge. Such a structure could lead to chances of the public touching the idols of gods during the Aarat procession. As per beliefs, this would affect the Aarat and could even invite undesirable outcomes,” said the letter.


The temple authorities urged that the bridge be strengthened using modern technologies and be retained as a heritage bridge like the Mattancherry bridge in Kochi. The route through which the Aarat procession proceeds could be thus retained in the existing structure. An action council of local people had also strongly objected to demolition of the Vallakadavu bridge which was reportedly constructed in 1888. “We also strongly support the stand of the temple that the bridge should be retained by strengthening, considering it traditional values,” said the action council chairman A. Saifuddin Haji.