THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The world famous ‘Pongala’ festival of Bhagavathi Amman Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala was celebrated with lakhs of women from various places in India and abroad participating in this historical religious festival today- 9th March 2020 – Monday.
Women devotees thronged the temple to offer ‘pongala’ (rice porridge) in earthen pots to the Goddess. The city of Thiruvananthapuram turned holy today with transport buses plying in city reserved for women on this ‘Pongala’ day which belongs to women devotees. This festival has become the largest congregation of women devotees at Attukal Bhagavathy Temple located just two kilometers away from the famous Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
TEMPLE HISTORY:
Legend says that the place was visited by Kannagi to take rest after burning Madurai with flames of her anger and retribution for the unjust killing of her husband. The Attukal festival takes place in the Malayalam month of ‘Makaram-Kumbham’ – and ninth day is when the ‘Pongala’ festival takes place with women preparing sweet ‘payasam’ made from rice porridge.
The main deity is Attukal Devi and this temple is described as ‘Sabarimala of the Women’ because Attukal is worshipped here as Supreme Mother and mighty preserver. There is a Kerala-Tamil Nadu connection to this temple because of brave woman Kannagi who visited this place after the legendary Madurai episode.
