THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eyes search and fingers move to stop short. A new annual calender in hand, the first search, is for the Pooram nakshathram (star) on the Full Moon day of the Malayalam month of Kumbham (Mid-February to early March).
From then on, for women, especially of Southern Travancore, start the plans for their offerings to Goddess Bhagavathy, the supreme deity, in her most tranquil form at the Attukal Temple. Mothers invite their daughters from far away places or friends. And some of those who stay away plan to make their trip this side at this time of the year.
The Attukal Pongala is the day of culmination of the nine-day festival of the temple, which starts on the Karthika Nakshathram of the Makaram- Kumbham month- the day when lakhs of women, from far and wide fill about a radius of seven kilometres (that sprawls to even greater dimensions year by year) of the temple, to extend offerings to the Devi as Pongala.
On the D-day, it looks as though all roads in the city lead to the temple. Waves of women from all age groups, irrespective of their caste, creed or material status, surge, busy making arrangements to offer Pongala.
And in their pursuits there are no hazards. There are volunteers and sponsors, with all magnanimity, helping them in their endeavours. Fields, roads, open yards of houses, commercial and other institutions are swept clean and thrown open to the devotees.
Ask any woman and she will have reasons as to why this offering is performed years together (though about more than three decades ago this was done by a few women of the locality). It may be a vow to appease for a delayed marriage or parenthood or marital discord or financial upliftment, or children’s education or out of plain piety.
Pongal (in Tamil) or Pongala denotes rising high, a sign of prosperity. Dexterous hands carry bricks about two to three to be arranged symmetrically and spaced to form temporary ‘aduppu’.
From afar they look like long and broad red lines, over which are adjusted mostly round bottomed earthen pots filled with water.
Firewood materials, mainly from coconut palms, are stacked beneath. At the auspicious time decided by the temple authority in consultation with the astrologer, fire is kindled to be lit as well as to be passed on.
As the fire blazes and heats the water in the pot, fistfuls of rice in odd numbers are dropped into the pot. Amidst the haze of smoke, the rice boils to froth, brim and spill over (a gesture of prosperity), in umpteen pots all around.
Generally firewood and smoke are a past story in women’s lives after the advent of the cooking gas. Yet, here they endure the smoke, that leave their eyes watery, for, with this smoke and fire they surrender themselves to the all-pervading Attukal amma (mother).
The brimming and spilling from the pots signify the blessings. The sight enthralls them out of piety and here and there could be heard the ‘vaaykkurava’, that indicates the surrender to the blessings bestowed.
Some like the offerings to be sweetened. So, after the brimming subsides, grated jaggery is added to the rice. There are some who offer both with sweetness as well as plain. The vows may be taken to offer a single pot, or more, upto even 101.
Besides, there are other offerings like the baking of 'therali', (a mixture of powdered rice, jaggery and grated coconut are stuffed into elongated and lobed ‘vayana’ leaves that emits a rare flavour) and the ‘mandaputtu’, made with powdered rice, green peas, again powdered, grated jaggery and coconut and steamed in the shape of a human face (this is made as a vow for the healing all ailments related to the head).
By evening, at yet another auspicious time, the temple priests sprinkle the holy water into these pots and vessels, preceded at times by an aerial showering of flowers. Only then the offerings are lifted from the ‘aduppu’, to be packed or to be distributed.
The sea of women move on for their return, wading through the congested traffic, to their men in waiting at their abodes.
They may be tired, but their spirits reveal a rare strength.
They move on with a tranquil mind, contented in having fulfilled the vows, before their favourite deity --- call her Goddess Kannaki who in between her sojourn from Madurai to Kodungalloor touched Attukal, or the young girl, who once accompanied the master of Mullaveetil tharavadu (ancestral home) and vanished when the hostess of the house readied to welcome her, only to reappear in his dream, beckoning him to erect an abode for her at the spot marked with three lines wherein the deity of the temple now stands.
The devotees extend their prayers and move on with the hope to gather around here again the next year. Till then, we all pray, ‘Sarva Mangala Mangalye!’.