Ban on Pongala goes up in smoke

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: True, the treasures of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple are invaluable and half-a-km radius around the temple is a high-security zone. But the devotees who gathered to offer Pongala were least bothered about the security issues. The women, who arrived in the city early on Tuesday, had booked their regular spots near the Sree Padmanabha Temple ignoring, rather being unaware, of the order issued by the Temple Security Wing of the police. Like any other nook and corner of the city, the area near the Sree Padmanabha Temple was also crowded with Pongala hearths.  The Temple Security Wing had issued an order on Tuesday banning the offering of Pongala in the high-security zone around the Sree Padmanabha Temple. However, the order failed to make any impact since the women who came from various parts of the district were unwilling to move from their spots.  “We did not know about the order. But even if  we had, we would not have moved from here. What is the relevance of such a ban during an event like this?” asked Deepthi, hailing from Vattappara.  “We were more or less helpless. This is not an event where a ban or a rule can be strictly implemented,” said a police officer attached to the Temple Security Wing.  This was the first time that such an order was issued after the Sree Padmanabha Temple premises were declared a high-security zone following the unravelling of the immense wealth in its vaults.