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Propitiating Attukal Bhagavathy

It is in air of piety and devotion coupled with the sweet fragrance of rice preparations that greets one at Trivandrum on a Pongala day. This annual event which falls on the ninth day of the ten-day long festival at the shrine of Goddess Bhagavathy at Attukal on the banks of the river Killi in Trivandrum is one that is eagerly awaited by hundreds of women.

Women devotees, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or nationality, line up the roads and streets along the five-kilometre radius of the shrine to make pongala offerings and seek the blessings of the Goddess. Mythology has it that Attukal Bhagavathy is the divinized form of Kannaki, the female protagonist of the Tamil literary work, Cilapathikaram authored by Ilango Adigal. Kannaki was the devout wife of Kovalan; a merchant who was falsely implicated and killed by the Pandya King of Madurai for having stolen the gold anklet of the queen. Enraged at this, Kannaki is said to have set fire to Madurai. Legend has it that she travelled to Kerala and halted at Attukal.

It was during here halt that women in the vicinity made pongala offerings to appease her. In continuation of the practice, pongala offerings are still made by women to the Goddess. The offerings are cooked in hearths using earthen pots. The Pongala festival, thus presents a good demand for earthenware and potters are found stocking their ware days before the Pongala festival. Rows of pots being decked up along the roads leading to the temple are a common sight during the festival period. The hearths are lit at a pre-fixed auspicious time.

At this point, the chief priest of the temple lights the hearth and hundreds of women devotees follow suit. The number and type of Pongala offerings varies; while some offer rice, others might make preparations like therali or mandaputtu.

The days ceremony comes to a close in the evening with the temple priests sprinkling holy water on the preparations.

A spirit of camaraderie and unity also descends in the air on the Pongala day. Homes leading up to the shrine provide space for the rest and relaxation of women who come to offer Pongala from afar. Pongala is also the time when philantrhopic groups are found contributing their maximum.

Food and other refreshments are provided free of cost to the devotees in several parts of the city.

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