THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thousands of women offered ‘pongala’ at the Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Devi Temple here on Tuesday. Devotees lit the ‘pongala’ hearths after Puliyannur Mana Anujan Namboothiripad, the temple ‘thantri’, lit the ‘pandara aduppu’ at 10.15 am. The number of women participating in the annual festival has gone up compared to the past years, temple authorities said.
Pongala offering stretched beyond the temple premises to the roads nearby. The ‘pongala tharpanam’ was at 2.15 pm. To sprinkle the holy water on the pongala offering at the hearths, around 150 priests were engaged. The festival has been concluded following a ‘Gurusi’ ritual. On Wednesday, the temple ‘nada’ will be opened only at 7.30 am.
The temple had made elaborate arrangements for the pongala with the help of the police, KSRTC, KWA, Health Department and other government agencies. To manage the heavy rush, three temporary bridges were constructed connecting the highway with the temple as in the previous year.The police security was flawless and it prevented untoward incidents and thefts. The personnel from the women battalion were more in numbers this time.
The festival has also set an example by complying with the green protocol.