Thiruvananthapuram is witnessing an overwhelming display of devotion as lakhs of women from across Kerala gather to offer Pongala to Attukal Amma on Thursday. The Attukal Temple and its surroundings are bustling with devotees, with Pongala hearths set up within a 10-kilometre radius of the temple.
The rituals began at 9:45 am with the sanctification ceremony, followed by the lighting of the ‘Pandara Aduppu’—the main hearth—at 10:15 am by the temple’s chief priest. The Pongala offering, prepared in earthen pots, includes rice, ghee, banana, jaggery, and coconut.
As the ‘Pandara Aduppu’ is lit, thousands of devotees light their brick stoves across the city, marking the start of the ritual. The ceremony will conclude at 1:15 pm with the sanctification ritual, where priests sprinkle holy water on the offerings.
Attukal Pongala is celebrated on the ninth day of the 10-day annual festival at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, dedicated to Kannaki, the heroine of the Tamil epic Silappadikaram. According to legend, Kannaki cursed the city of Madurai and its kings for unjustly executing her husband. Her rage subsided when she stopped at Attukal, and the Pongala ritual commemorates her victory over the Madurai kings.
With strict traffic regulations in place, the city is fully prepared to accommodate the massive gathering of devotees for this grand celebration of faith and tradition.
