ATTUKAL PONGALA - ART AND CULTURE

What's in the news?

       Attukal Pongala, a 10-day religious festival (a festival of largest women gathering on earth), celebrated at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala is extremely popular.

 

Key takeaways:

       A version of Attukal Pongala was recently celebrated at Pune's Rasta Peth in the Ayyappah temple.

       As part of the festivities, women devotees gather to offer a ritualistic sweet dish to the goddess or ‘Bhagavathy'.

       The Goddess-fondly referred to as ‘Attukalamma’ is said to be appeased by this ritual.

       Attukal Pongala is known to be the largest women gathering on earth.

       In Attukal Pongala festival, women devotees offer pongala, a gruel made of rice, jaggery, ghee and coconut, to the presiding deity.

       Attukal Temple is called the "Women's Sabarimala" as only women perform rituals.

       Women were dressed in white saris with golden border for the festival.

       In 2009, Attukal Pongala festival made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest religious gathering of women on a single day when over 2.5 million people took part in it.