Huge turnout expected for Attukal Pongala today in Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Women devotees started flocking to the city ahead of Attukal Pongala, which will be held on Tuesday. From Sunday night, slots were marked, reserved and threads were tied over the bricks to prepare hearths along the streets.
Local clubs and residents’ associations set up temporary marquees along the footpaths to provide space for women devotees and to guard them from sunlight. The temple witnessed a heavy turnout on Monday as devotees queued up for darshan.
Authorities are anticipating a big turnout for the event as Pongala is being held in a full-fledged manner after a pandemic break of three years. Pongala has been held amidst stringent pandemic-related restrictions since 2020. In 2021, pongala was allowed only in households and devotees were asked to keep off streets.
The city corporation and other departments had a tough time preparing the roads motorable ahead of Pongala.
Cleansing rituals will be completed by 10.20am and the main hearth will be lit at 10.30am. The singers of Thottam Pattu will recite the chapter on King Pandya’s death from Kannaki Charitha.
Tantri Parameswaran Vasudevan Bhattathiripadu will light the lamp from the sanctum sanctorum and hand it over to the priest Brahmasree P Kesavan Namboothiri. The priest will light the hearth at ‘thidapally’ and ‘valiya thidappally’ and will transfer the lamp to the co-priest who will light the ‘pandara aduppu’ (the main hearth) set in front of the temple.
The noon ritual will be held at 2.30pm followed by sanctification of Pongala and ‘deeparadhana’. The trust has informed that 300 priests will be specially deputed for the sanctification of Pongala pots. After the Pongala, the deity procession will be carried out to Manacaud Sastha Temple.
The government had given administrative sanction for works to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore ahead of Attukal Pongala.
Meanwhile, the city corporation will deploy special teams to collect the bricks left after the ritual. The corporation has communicated that while devotees are free to take back the bricks they bring for Pongala, the corporation will collect whatever is left behind and use it for the construction of houses under various housing schemes.
The distribution of bricks will be made on a priority basis. The beneficiaries of bricks shall be selected under the LIFE Housing Mission. Those who need bricks may submit an application with a copy of the ration card before March 10.