A sea of hearths, prayers on the boil: Devotee lines stretch nearly 10km as Kerala's Attukal Pongala records highest post-pandemic turnout

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state capital turned into a vast sea of hearths on Tuesday as thousands of women devotees gathered for the annual Attukal Pongala, transforming every available open space into a site of devotion.

Devotees from across Kerala and other parts of the country arrived a day in advance, occupying streets and temple precincts to prepare for the ritual offering. The spiritual fervour stretched up to Mannanthala, nearly 10km from the Attukal Bhagavathy temple, effectively converting the city into a sprawling ritual ground.

The aroma of burning firewood and sweet pongala filled the air as chants and prayers echoed through the city. The ceremony began at 9.45am with chief priest Parameswaran Bhattathirippad initiating the ritual. Melsanthi Aneesh Namboothiri carried the sacred flame from the sanctum sanctorum to the ‘pandara aduppu’ in the temple courtyard.

From there, the flame was carried across the city to light thousands of makeshift hearths set up along roadsides, courtyards and open spaces. Around 380 priests were engaged for the ritual, with nearly 300 deployed across various locations to sprinkle holy water and maintain the sanctity of the offering. Women devotees, carrying bricks, firewood and earthen or metal pots, prepared the traditional offering of rice, jaggery and coconut.

The ritual concluded at 2.15pm with the nivedyam to the deity. However, many devotees could not have darshan afterward as the temple remained closed between 3.10pm and 7pm due to a lunar eclipse. According to the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple Trust, the participation this year witnessed the largest turnout since the pandemic years.

Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar attended the event, with his family offering pongala in front of Lok Bhavan. Leader of opposition V D Satheesan’s sister and daughter offered pongala near Cantonment House. Both leaders praised the festival’s secular ethos, calling it “the real Kerala story”.

Several prominent personalities, including Padmaja Venugopal, Deepa Das Munshi, Deepthy Mary Varghese, Shobhana George and R Sreelekha, along with film and television actors, took part. Devaswom minister V N Vasavan, general education minister V Sivankutty, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MLA V K Prasanth, mayor V V Rajesh, deputy mayor G S Ashanath, P K Krishna Das and K Muraleedharan were among those present at the temple.

The mayor said the event concluded smoothly, citing effective coordination among various agencies. Arrangements were made to ensure adequate drinking water, medical aid and transport facilities. In a rare spectacle, a helicopter arranged by the corporation showered flower petals on devotees, marking the culmination of the ceremony.

The Kuthiyottam ritual was held in the evening, and the festival will conclude on Wednesday. Extensive arrangements were made to manage the massive turnout. KSRTC operated 500 special buses, while railways introduced special Memu trains exclusively for women. Many devotees from other states returned soon after the ritual.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !