Attukal Ponkala Festival of Kerala is exclusively for women. It is one of the most important festivals of Kerala, held at Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram city. Lakhs of women from Kerala and other parts of the country participate in this festival. The spirit of unity is an important feature of this festival. Though it is held in the temple premises, it extends to about 5 kms radius, to accommodate the large number of women devotees who come here to prepare and offer pongal to the goddess. The women do this for the well being of their husband and children.

(Image courtesy: kkseema@flickr)

This annual festival commences on Karthika star day in Malayalam month of Makaram-Kumbhom (February - March) with the chanting of thottampattu (a song praising Bhagavathy)and continues for nine days. On the 9th day, Ponkala is made and offered to the goddess.

Ponkala- Ponkala (also spelt as Pongala) means golden pot. It is a sweet payasam made with a sweet offering of rice, jaggery, plantains and coconut, in earthen pots. The devotees assemble in the temple premises with the payasm ingredients, the earthern pots, bricks and firehood. The cooking preparation starts morning and by noon would be over. The queue of the women come for ponkala making, stretches into few kilometers. Though it is a Hindu festival, the other religious people also offer their place gladly to the devotees to do their pongala. Ponkala payasam is believed to be the most favourite offering of the goddess. After the ponkala, the women return home with the prasadams.

After Ponkala, the chief priest of the temple and his assistants go around and bless the devotees by sprinkling holy water on them and their offerings. Then the idol of the Attukalama is taken in procession to the Manacaud Sastha Temple accompanied by thalapoli, kuthiyottom, annam, vahanam and, caparisoned elephants amidst the percussion. After the necessary poojas the procession returns the next morning, and the festival ends with 'Kuruthi Tharpanam' at night.

It is believed that Bhagavathy Attukalamma is considered as the incarnation of 'Kannaki', the heroine of 'Silappathikaram' by Tamil Poet Illango in 2nd century A.D. Attukal temple, is one of the places where Kannaki took rest on her journey from Madurai to Kodungallur.

More information is available here. http://www.attukal.org

How to reach there - Attukal Bhagavathy temple is just 2 kms away from the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Station, and from the Central Bus Stand.