Attukal Pongala
Attukal Pongala is a 10-day festival celebrated at the Attukal Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, during which there is a huge gathering of millions of women on the ninth day. These women prepare a divine food made of rice in earthen pots and offer it to the Goddess of the Temple. The pongala preparation starts with the ritual called 'Aduppuvettu'. This is the lighting of the pongala hearth (called Pandarayaduppu) placed inside the temple by the chief priest. The festival is marked as the largest annual gathering of women by the Guinness World Records. This is the earliest Pongala festival in Kerala. The ceremony was set up in Guinness Book of World Records on February 23, 1997, when 1.5 million women participated in Pongala.[1] In 2009, a new Guinness World Records celebrated 2.5 million attendance.[2] This temple is also known as the Sabarimala for women.[3]
| Aatukaal Ponkala | |
|---|---|
 Women gathering as part of Attukal pongala at Thampanoor, Kerala | |
| Observed by | Hindus of Southern Kerala |
| Type | Religious, cultural |
| Date | per Hindu calendar |
| 2019 date | Wednesday, 20 February |
| 2020 date | Monday, 9 March |
| Frequency | Annual |
In 2019 Attukal Pongala was celebrated on Wednesday, 20 February.[4]
The Attukal Pongala was held on March 9, 2020.[5] The Attukal Pongala event started at 10.20 AM and ends at 2.10 PM with the traditional Nivedyam. Thousands of women participated despite the high alert from the state government against large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
References
- "Ponkala makes it to Guinness". The Hindu. 15 March 2012.
- "Largest gathering of women". Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records.
- Ponmelil, V. A. "Temples of Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram Attukal Temple". newkerala.com.
- Attukal Pongala date and time
- Rajwi, Tiki (9 March 2020). "Thousands of women flock to Thiruvananthapuram for Attukal Pongala today". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 March 2020.