The world famous Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam will be held today in the city. Celebrated annually at the renown edAttukal Devi Temple in Trivandrum, where more than three million women gather to offer pongala to Attukal Amma, the Hindu goddess making it the largest gathering of women on Earth. This year a similar edition will be held at Lal Bazar Ayyappa Temple in a similar fashion.
The Mahotsavam is usually not only celebrated in Trivandrum, but the whole world is awaiting for the holy ceremony and every woman will pray to the Devi to bless them to be a part of it. The Pongala ritual commences at 10:45 am. Today, women devotees throng the temple to offer pongala to Attukal Amma, which begins with making fire in the temple hearth known as Pandara Aduppu. The fire will then be passed to the women ready to offer pongala and the same fire spreads to all thetens of thousands of women, who are offering pongala.
Millions of women build millions of fires in the open street and prepare a pot of rice on the flames. Attukal Pongala 2009 was registered in Guinness Book as the largest gathering of women in the world which attracted approximately 27 lakh devotees.