Attukal Pongala ritual to be held, but with restrictions

The Kerala government onWednesday decided to conduct the famous Attukal Pongala, oneof the world's largest all womenreligious congregations, inthe city onFebruary 27, by strictly adhering to COVID-19protocol and allowing devotees to perform the ritual onlyinside the temple compound.

The decision in this regard was taken at a meetingchaired by Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran.

Devotees would be allowed entry only after they registeronline.

The rituals would be held as per the temple customs andby restricting as many people as possible.

A decision on the maximum number of people who would beallowed to offer the ritual would be taken later,a governmentpress release said.

This year, none would be allowed to offer 'pongala'(sweet offering) in public places or on roads.

But people can make the offering from their homes.

Preparing 'pongala' is considered an auspicious ritual ofthe annual festival of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple.

Braving scorching heat and humid climate, women from allover Kerala and outside the state converge in grounds and bothsides of the highways, roads and bylanes across the city andprepare 'pongala', a mix of rice, jaggery and scraped coconutin fresh earthen or metal pots to appease the Goddess.

The offering is made in makeshift brick stoves, placed onboth sides of the roads.

As per local legend, the Pongala festival commemoratesthe hospitality accorded by women in the locality to Kannagi,the divine incarnation of the heroine of the Tamil epic'Silappadhikaram' while she was on her way after destroyingMadurai city to avenge the injustice to her husband Kovalan.

The temple is called the ''Women's Sabarimala'' as onlywomen perform rituals, while it is predominantly men whoundertake the pilgrimage to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa atSabarimala.