Thiruvananthapuram: Attukal pongala, the ritualistic offering made to the deity of Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, began with the temple head priest lighting the pandara aduppu around 10.30 am on Tuesday.
After a group of vocalists performed ‘thottam pattu’, Thantri Thekkedath Parameswaran Vasudevan Bhattathiripad handed over the lamp to head priest P Kesavan Namboodiri at the sanctum sanctorum, marking the beginning of the pongala offerings.
The festival will be celebrated following green protocol.
Attukal Bhagavathy Temple which is known as "women's Sabarimala" is famous for its Pongala festival. Women in huge numbers throng to the temple during the festival.
Devotees prepare offerings for the Goddess in earthen pots and use logs of coconut trees for the fire. The pongala Nivedyam ceremony will be held at 2.30 pm after the afternoon prayers.
The ‘chooral kuthu’ ritual for the children who observed the ‘kuthiyotta vritham’ will begin at 7.45 pm. Following which, the procession to Manacuad Sastha temple will start and it will return to Attukal at 8 am on Wednesday. The pongala festival will come to a close with ‘Kuruthitharppanam’ at night.
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