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.

Festivals begin

 The procession of Mutharamman Devi reaching Sastha Temple, Manacaud

The processions of deities of temples around the capital city announce that the festival season has commenced, it virtually dips the city dwellers in the holy waters of devotion. The major processions that adorn the streets of  Thiruvananthapuram in the coming days are processions from Attukal, Kochiravila, Mukkolakkal, Aryankuzhi and Pazhanchira temples, all of them have Goddess Bhadrakali as diety.

Spiritual bliss of pilgrimage

Pilgrims at the Attukal temple premises

 The motive of every pilgrimage is to seek blessings from the almighty, the pilgrims progress rests on the strength of his/her dedication and devotion. Offerings and rituals are inevitable parts of pilgrimage, which take the pilgrim close to the divine power. Pongala is a holy union of panchabhootha that links the ethereal to the mundane in a simple ritual form, it makes you free from the rigorous discipline of thapas , that's why millions take part in it, particularly women.

A great social gathering

  Attuukal Pongala is a month away, but the air of sublime dedication looms large in the air. People far and near have begun to talk about the grand ritual; women have already started preparations, collecting the dried coconut leaves and sizing fire wood, buying pongala sarees and even reserving their places at their friends' or relatives' houses near the Attukal temple. Usually women prefer houses where they have put up during the previous festival, you could find many homes around the temple where people from far away places gather  for decades. Attukal pongala is also a great social gathering that strengthen relationships, where love and trust are the sublime denominators.

Pilgrimage point

 Sabarimala pilgrims having their breakfast during their halt at Attukal temple premises

 Attukal temple premises have become a halt point for the pilgrims to Sabarimala who come to Trivandrum to visit Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. In fact it serves as a pilgrim spot that connects and transpires the divine glory of  three important shrines of Kerala. 

Its Pongala time

Come to Attukal Temple, and the air would greet you with the smell of festival, the temple and the capital city are grooming up for the greatest religious gathering of women on earth. And in your mind you could really feel the divine blessings of the mother Goddess. Its Pongala time.

Temple grooms up for Attukal Pongala 2013

Banner announcing Attukal Pongala 2013 at the nadapandal of the Attukal temple

 www.attukalpongala.blogspot.com begins updations for Attukal Pongala 2013.

Kuthiyottam registration for Attukal pongala festival 2013 begins

The banner announcing the opening of registration at the Attukal temple premises

Registration for Kuthiyottam in association with the Attukal temple festival 2013, began on 17 August 2012, the registration will close on 15 February 2013. Devotees can make online registration at the temple website www.attukal.org or directly at the temple office.

Procession of the Goddess - photos

Photos of ezhunnallippu of Attukal Devi to Sastha temple, Manacaud

Attukal temple festival - Kuthiyottam photos

Kuthiyottam after arriving in front of Sastha temple, Manacaud

  

Kuthiyottam going back to Attukal temple



Ezhunnallippu video

Watch the Ezhunnallippu video of Attukal Devi - Attukal temple festival 2012.
The procession leaving Sastha temple, Manacaud.

Attukal Pongala 2012 video

This year 3.5 million women took part in the Attukal Pongala festival, seeking Attukal Devi's blessings, making it the greatest celebration of womanhood in the whole planet. Watch the Attukal Pongala 2012 video

The finishing line

Every year after the Attukal pongala, the Trivandrum Corporation's cleaning workers' engage in a cleaning process, which only takes three hours to wipe out the bricks, paper, plastic and other waste materials from the city roads, they really deserves a shake hand.

Back home

About 30 lakh women participated in this year's Attukal pongala taking the blessings of the goddess to thirty lakh homes, promising each other that they would come back in the years ahead.

Pongala is over, now its buying time

The noon break

Queue for the noon meal

Got it!

And a short nap

Attukal pongala video

Watch Attukal pongala 2012 video

Beating the heat