Attukal Pongala, the largest festival for women in the world, begins in Trivandrum
Several dignitaries were present on the temple premises during the lighting of the pandara aduppu. They included Mayor Arya Rajendran, Education Minister V Sivankutty and Shashi Tharoor MP. Devotees celebrated the lighting of the pandara aduppu by loud chants and bursting crackers. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Attukal Pongala, arguably the largest festival of women in the world, began in the Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. This year, the festival is witnessing a huge participation of devotees. During the past two years, devotees participated in the ritual by offering pongala at their homes due to the covid situation. On Tuesday, the rituals began at the Attukal Devi temple when the temple tantri Thekkedath Parameswaran Vasudevan Bhattathirippad handed over a lighted lamp to the melsanthi P Kesavan Namboodiri at the sanctum sanctorum. The melsanthi then lit the hearth at the thidapalli, the temple kitchen, and handed over the lamp to his co-priest. The latter lit the p...