THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Pongala festival at Attukal Devi Temple here is beginning on February 25. The Pongala ritual will be held at 10.15 am on March 5.
Addressing a press meet here on Friday, Attukal Temple Trust chairman K P Ramchandran Nair, president V L Vinod, vice-president K Girijakumari Amma, secretary M Bhaskaran Nair and other office-bearers said that actor Manju Warrier was scheduled to inaugurate the cultural programmes at 6.30 pm on the opening day. ISRO former chairman K Radhakrishnan will be honoured with the Attukal Amba Puraskaram on the occasion.
They said that the details about the temple and festival were available on the official website www.attukal.org. Live streaming of Pongala preparations will be webcast through the site from 6 pm to 7 pm on March 4 and on the Pongala day from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm.
Recorded footage can be accessed from the website for a period of one month. Devotees can book poojas and offerings online through the website.
Prasadam will be delivered via Speed Post at the rate of Rs 100 and right now there is a facility to avail of a pooja kit with more content by post, they said.
The Trust is making arrangements for devotees to have convenient darshan and circumambulating the sreekovil. There are also plans to construct an inn and a lodge for accommodating devotees and a shopping complex. A proposal to construct a stateof- the-art auditorium is under consideration. Two a/c and non a/c buses of the Trust are available for devotees.
The festival will conclude on March 6 at 11.30 pm.