Kuthiyottam reaches Manacaud Sastha temple

Finishing point

Getting the blessings

Back home

Pongala pot boils over

For the goddess

Praying to deity before putting rice to the pongala pot

Putting rice into the pot

Pongala boils

Pongala time

Lighting the fire

Getting the fire from Sastha temple, Manacaud

Lighting the fire

The pongala fire was lighted at 10.45 AM

Ready to ight the fire

The long wait

The morning refreshment

 Women queue in front of the SBT Manacaud for the breakfast

Million rising

 

Millions of women have occupied their places for the pongala ritual, virtually making the pongala city to a kitchen, its a women's world and a women's day today

Pongala night

Pongala eve

 Its pongala eve, and its a celebration of womanhood, even late at night in this women city. Awake and half awake every woman is enjoying it full of heart.

Spirit of womahood

The long wait

 The disruption of water supply following the bursting of pipe lines in four places in Trivandrum city has given a hard time for women participating in the pongala ritual. Long queues of women are seen in many city points with pet bottles and vessels to get drinking water supplied by the water authority. The government sources say that it would take at least 20 hours to restore the water supply, water or no water, the spirit of womanhood cannot be beaten.  

Its a sea of women

The evening rush

Women continued to flow to the city from early morning and occupied their places along the roads and lanes of the pongala city. The Attukal temple has also witnessed an enormous crowd as women who have come for pongala headed for the temple to avoid a last minute rush for darsan.

Attukal Pongala 2013 : the countdown begins

The city is already crowded as if it is the Pongala eve, giving a hint to the massive turn out of women expected on Pongala day. Women from outside the Trivandrum district have begun to arrive, the roads leading to Attukal have virtually turned to market places, crowd, crowd crowd, its what you see here in the Pongala city

Festival colours

From the festival ground

City grooms up for Attukal pongala 2013

The Theruvilakku procession during night

The temple premise is flooded with women, the roads and lanes that stretch to Attukal are lined with festival time vendors who make a living selling curios and essentials for pongala, besides all you can watch the  Theruvilakku or Vilakkukettu processions that move in the night with resounding chenda melam or meyyandi melam, its festive air every where. Come Pongala , the city would transform itself to Attukal temple premise, where millions would gather to seek blessings with a single prayer.

Festival life

Scenes from the festival ground

From food to toys and tattoos the festival ground  is a fascinating place, where you would find many facets of life. The corn sellers from Tamilnadu, the local balloon man and the tattoo maker from Rajasthan meet at a the same place to make a living. With our different perspectives, motivations and interests we too go to meet them and become part of the festivities with an innate passion to seek happiness, thats why perhaps religions around the world nurture festivals and gatherings, a spiritual way to to relieve the material fears. .

Women flow to Attukal despite strike

A moment from the festival ground

The facade at the parking area

 The Attukal temple witnessed a great rush in the evening despite the inconveniences caused by the forty eight hour the national strike. People were flowing to the temple in their own vehicles and by foot. Cultural programmes are going on, in the three stages erected at the temple premises. Vendors say that their sales were also better despite the strike. For more pictures follow the link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Attukal-Pongala/162198643801028?ref=hl

Attukal Pongala 2013: Pots line up the roads to Attukal

 Pot makers from the city and its suburbs and from places around the border municipality of Parassala have lined up with their huge loads of earthern pots on either side of the main road that lead to Attukal temple. Women have started buying the pots, to avoid the last rush.

See more pictures on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Attukal-Pongala/162198643801028?sk=photos_stream

Attukal Pongala 2013 : Kuthiyottam vratham starts

 
Children taking part in Kuthiyottam gather at the nadapandal of Attukal Devi temple, the Kuthiyottam vratham starts today.More photos and news on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Attukal-Pongala/162198643801028

Attukal temple festival begins

The rush for darsan after kudiyiruthu

Scenes from the temple

  Attukal temple festival began here today with the traditional rituals of Kappukettu and Kudiyiruthu. Temple witnessed a huge turn out of devotees for darsan at the opening day of the festival.