Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

All arrangements made for Chakkulathukavu pongala festival

Staff Reporter

Over six lakh devotees expected to attend the festival

AGAINST EVIL: The `Karthika Sthambhom' erected on the Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy Temple premises in connection with the pongala festival.

PATHANAMTHITTA: Steps are being taken for the smooth conduct of the annual pongala festival at the Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy Temple at Neerettupuram near Thiruvalla.

Chief priest of the temple Radhakrishnan Namboodiri and administrator Manikkuttan Namboodiri said that all arrangements had already been made for the smooth conduct of the festival.

The auspicious `Karthika Sthambhom', a towering post made of `udayadas' (sacred clothes of the deity), medicinal herbs and roots, to be burnt prior to the deeparadhana at the temple on the pongala day afternoon had already been erected on the temple premises. The burning of Karthika Sthambhom symbolises elimination of evil spirits.

The pongala ritual will begin with the chief priest transferring the sacred fire from the sanctum sanctorum to the main pongala hearth on the temple premises at 9 a.m. on December 13.

Film actor Jayaram will light the ceremonial lamp on the occasion.

The fire from the main hearth will be transferred to the hearths set up by the devotees, says Suresh Kavumbhagom, public relations officer of the temple.

Air-dropping of flowers by the Kerala Aviation Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, will be a speciality of this year's festival.

Over six lakh devotees are expected to attend the festival.

Utcha Deeparadhana will be held at the temple on December 13 afternoon. The cultural meet on the temple premises later in the afternoon will be inaugurated by K.P. Mohan of the Asianet.

Kuttanad MLA K.C. Joseph will preside over the meeting. Sudhirkumar Shetty, general manager of the UAE Exchange, will deliver the keynote address.

Radhakrishnan Namboodiri will bless the function and deliver the benedictory speech.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

All arrangements made for Chakkulathukavu pongala festival
Reception planned for Catholicos
KC(J) State camp begins at Adoor
Consecration of Bishop House in Adoor today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu