THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capital city is all set for Attukal Pongala once again. Makeshift shops have appeared in every nook and cranny, where women devotees stop to buy earthen pots for rituals.
Lining the streets are bricks that will turn into hearths on Sunday, when lakhs of women will congregate in Thiruvananthapuram to offer sweetened rice porridge to the Attukal goddess.
On the day of the Pongala, city residents and local administration get together to make all facilities available for the women performing the ritual.
Notably, the Palayam Church has cancelled its Sunday morning mass, and announced that it will make arrangements for Hindu devotees.
The 10-day Attukal temple festival and its transformation into a regional carnival with a global appeal reaches its zenith with the Pongala, touted as women’s Sabarimala.
What strikes most are the friendship bonds forged during Pongala, which get renewed annually as the women get together.
The festival is a great marker that cultural celebrations have a larger cause: to bring people closer.