A generous family’s sisterhood knows no bounds
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The verdant front yard of Kenz at Chacka beside the Parvathy Puthanar canal has had a tradition for almost 20 years now. Ever since Attukal Pongala grew in magnitude, the family has been hosting devotees who travel from as far as Ernakulam and Aluva to participate in the ritual.
“They call up and ask us to reserve space for them and arrive a day before the ritual. We accommodate them in our front yard and also offer facilities to freshen up. We arrange refreshments for them. When they leave, they give us the prasadam they make,” says Dr Fazil Azeem, consultant Cardiac Surgeon at PRS and Ananthapuri hospitals, who lives in the house with his mother Hasina Fazil.
Around 50 women assemble for the Pongala. They relax in the welcoming shade of the trees lining the yard till the priest comes to consecrate the offering. “They are like friends who visit us annually,” says Dr Azeem, whose sister-in-law Dr Benazir too has joined the family this year from Abudhabi to welcome their Pongala guests.