Thiruvananthapuram, Thursday, November 03, 2011: The 10-day long Alpasi festival at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple concluded with the traditional ‘arattu’ ceremony here on Thursday.

Carrying the `udavaal’ or the traditional sword, the head of the royal family of erstwhile Travancore, Uthradam Tirunal Marthanda Varma, escorted the deities.

The male members of the royal family, temple staff, flag bearers of erstwhile Travancore, caparisoned elephants, mounted police and the police band accompanied the procession.

People in large numbers had gathered on both sides of the road from West fort to Shangumugham where the deities were taken for the `holy dip’.

The ceremonial `Pallivetta’, conducted prior to the arattu was held in front of the Sundaravilasom Palace inside the Fort on Wednesday night.

(news agency inputs)