Lakhs offer Pongala to Attukal Devi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Braving the mild summer showers in the morning and the searing heat of the noon, lakhs of women offered Pongala to the presiding deity of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple here on Wednesday.The offering of the Pongala began with the lighting of the ‘Pandara Aduppu’ by Melsanthi Goshala Vishnu Vasudevan Namboothiri at 10.15 a.m. after he was handed over the flame by Thantri Chennas Dineshan Namboothiri. Devaswom Minister V S Sivakumar, Mayor K Chandrika and Shashi Tharoor MP, joined the devotees to witness the ritual.Considered as the largest congregation of women anywhere, the current edition of the Attukal Pongala had drawn women from all over Kerala and neighbouring states.City streets were taken over by devotees who lit hearths and cooked the Pongala payasam, therali, mandaputtu and vella nivedyam.  Normal life came to a standstill in the city as shops and establishments remained closed in the morning.Wednesday was declared a holiday in the district in view of the Pongala. Women started to flock to the city on Tuesday itself, booking a place for themselves near the temple, and on the roadsides, grounds and building campuses within a six-kilometre radius. Churches and mosques also provided facilities for the devotees.The Pongala Nivedyam, the ritual of sprinkling holy water on the cooked offerings, began at 2.30 p.m. The Pongala Mahotsavam started on February 28. The festival will come to a close with the Kappazhippu ceremony at 9.15 pm on Thursday.