Context:

The famed Pongala, which is said to be the largest congregaƟ on of women in the world in connecƟ on with the annual festival at AƩ Akal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram celebrated on February 27 this year.

Important facts about Attukal Pongala Festival

• Attukal Pongala is a 10-day religious festival celebrated at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram of Kerala.
• The festival is devoted to Attukal Devi or Attukalamma.
• It is a women-centric festival.
• The Pongala preparation starts with the ritual called ‘Aduppuvettu’.
• On the ninth day, there is a huge gathering of millions of women in the temple surroundings.
• These women prepare a divine food made of rice in earthen pots and offer it to the Attukal Amma (Goddess of the Temple).
• The offering is made by Valiyachennellu, native organic This variety is rich in iron content.
• This is the earliest Pongala festival in Kerala. The festival is marked as the largest annual gathering of women by the Guinness World Records.

Attukal Bhagavathy Temple

• The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is a Hindu religious shrine, dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali (Kannaki), the main deity of the temple. There are two idols of the Goddess in the sanctum sanctorum.
• Architecture: The temple structure is a harmonious conglomeration of both Kerala and Tamil styles of architecture.

• Sculptures:

  • The beautifully carved figures of Mahishasuramarddini, Goddess Kali, Rajarajeswari, Sree Parvathy with Lord Paramasivaare depicted with other Gods.
  • The corridor’s walls also adorn the epic stories of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu viz., the “Desavathara”.
  • On the southern Gopura, the puranic story of “Dakshayaga” is depicted in sculptures.

Some important famous festivals of Kerala

Onam – The National Festival of Kerala

• It is a harvest festival celebrated by Malayalis.
• The festival is celebrated to commemorate King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.
• The earliest known reference to Onam is found in Maturaikkaaci – a Sangam-era Tamil poem.
• Onam is celebrated by making Pookkalam (the flower rangolis). Other rituals are also performed which includes-Vallam Kali (the boat races), Pulikali (the tiger dances), Kummattikali (mask dances), Onathallu (martial arts), among others.

Thiruvathira

• The Thiruvathira festival falls on the asterism Thiruvathira in the Malayalam month of Dhanu (December-January).
• The ArdraDarshan celebrated in Tamil Nadu corresponds to Thiruvathira of Kerala
• It is considered to be high auspicious to worship Siva and the devotees go to the temple before sunrise for ‘darshan’.