Attukal Pongala Festival of Kerala
Name of Festival : Attukal Pongala Festival
Major Territory of Celebration
Attukal Pongala Festival is celebrated in Kerala state of India
Time of celebration (Months)
Attukal Pongala Festival is celebrated in Bharani day (Karthika star) of the Malayalam month of Makaram-Kumbham (February-March)
Worship in Festival
In the day of festival people worship the “Attukal Devi”
About Festival
Attukal Pongala is an extremely popular, essentially women’s festival celebrated in ancient Bhagavathy temple (Mudippura) at Attukal in the Kaladi ward of the Thiruvananthapuram district. Attukal Pongala is dedicated to Attukal Devi and celebrated at Attukal Devi or Attukal Bhagavathi Temple popularly known as the ‘Sabarimala of women’, Thiruvananthapuram or Trivandrum, Kerala.
Time of Celebration of Festival
Attukal Pongala Festival is a ten-day-long event which commences from the Bharani day (Karthika star) of the Malayalam month of Makaram-Kumbham (February-March) and comes to an end with the sacrificial offering known as Kuruthitharpanam at night. This festival is said to be the largest annual gathering of women in the world.
This festival is started to Thottampattu (a song about Bhagavathi). 9th day of the festival is very important day when the famous Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam takes place. On this day large number of women of all castes offerings for the Goddess by cooking pongala in the vicinity of the temple. ‘Pongala’ means to boil over , a sweet rice, prepared in earthen pots with rice, jaggery and coconut, to the Goddess.On this day only women are allowed to participate in this custom. OIn this day ritual of cooking starts early in the morning and by noon, Pongala would be ready. Then the chief priest of the temple arrives with the Goddess’s sword and blesses the ladies by sprinkling holy water and showering flowers
History of The Attukal Pongala Festival :
Attukal is the place where Kannaki took rest on her northward journey from Madurai to Kodungallur. Goddess Attukalamma is believed to be incarnation of ‘Kannaki’.
Pongala festival has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest attendance of women on February 23, 1997. 1.5 million women had participated in that year’s Pongala.
