The annual Karthika Pongala festival at the Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy temple at Neerettupuram was held on Friday. Thousands of devotees from across the State and outside offered pongala to the presiding deity as part of the festival.
The festival commenced with Nirmalya Darsanam and Maha Ganapati Homom in the morning.
The festival was formally inaugurated by Gokulam Gopalan by lighting a ceremonial lamp. The temple priest lighted the main pongala hearth with the sacred fire brought from the sanctum sanctorum.
The fire was then transferred to the thousands of small hearths prepared by devotees on the temple premises and surrounding areas. Devotees prepared the pongala offering at the temple premises, Thakazhi, Thiruvalla, Chengannur, Mannar, Veeyapuram, and Muthoor, among other places.
A cultural meet was held in connection with the festival in the evening.
The festival was organised in accordance with a green protocol. As part of it, use of plastic materials was discouraged. Eco-friendly plates and glasses were used for serving water and food at the temple premises.
Waters kiosks were set up at different places for distributing drinking water. The Chakkulathukavu Sri Bhagavathy Temple Trust and the Suchitwa Mission had earlier asked the devotees not to bring plastic kits, bottled water, and disposable materials.