Pongala is a harvest festival of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The name 'Pongala' means 'to boil over' and refers to the ritualistic offering of porridge made of rice, sweet brown molasses, coconut gratings, nuts and raisins. Generally women devotees participate in this ritual. Tamil people celebrate as Pongal. [1]
The origins of the Pongala festival may date to more than 1000 years ago. [2] Epigraphic evidence suggests the celebration of the Puthiyeedu during the Medieval Chola empire days. Puthiyeedu is believed to represent the first harvest of the year. [3]
The most famous and important among Pongala festival happens at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple at Attukal, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala where around 3.5 million people participate. The festival in Attukal is considered by the population of the city, across their religious beliefs, as the biggest festival in the city. [4]
Rice, coconut and jaggery are brought by women devotees along with round earthen pots for cooking. Women participating in the Pongala set up makeshift stoves using bricks and firewood along the roads, bylanes, footpaths and shop fronts in a radius of several kilometres around the temple. They squat next to their stoves to cook the mixture of rice, jaggery and coconut in earthen pots that is offered to the goddess seeking divine blessings. The Chief Priest of the temple lights the main hearth from the divine fire inside the sanctum sanctorum. This fire is passed on from one stove to the next.
Devi is essentially the mother goddess of ancient people of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In this part of India this concept is evolved from the deity 'Kottave' worshiped on the peak of 'Aiyramala'. During ancient times, the entire population from the nearby villages converge on this hill and they stay there during the entire festivities lasting for several days. During this time social cooking used to take place by the women which was considered to be holy and liked by the goddess. Such social cooking naturally strengthened the bonds between these villages. This custom is still continued in the form of Pongala offering. This is one side of the character of the goddess. She is also the deity who brings victory in wars and therefore the goddess is offered blood sacrifice as stated in Sangam Literature. The word used for this is 'Kuruthi'. It means killing. The Tookaam ceremonies in some temples is a reminder of the ancient practice of blood sacrifice. This custom was modified later on to give 'Kuruthi' to the deity by killing cocks, which however is not practiced now.
Although Pongala festival is celebrated on a large scale mainly in the Attukal Temple, other temples where Pongala Samarpanam (though on a significantly smaller scale) is done are the Vellayani Devi Temple, Mankulam Parasakthi Devi Temple, Kovilvila Bhagavati Temple, Karikkakom Devi Temple, Puthiyakavu Bhagavathi Temple, Kanakathur Sree Kurumbakkavu Temple, Pulpally Seetha Devi Temple, Palakunnu Bhagavathi Temple, Mulluthara Devi Temple, Chakkulathukavu Temple, Anikkattilammakshethram and Thazhoor Bhagavathy Kshetram in Kerala.
The annual Pongala festival of Attukal Bhagavathy temple, has been entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest congregation of women in the world. [5] [6] The festival draws over 2.5 million women on a single day in March to perform the Pongala ritual, and has been a center of attraction for devotees as well as tourists who visit Trivandrum during this season.
Pongal is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Tamils. The festival is celebrated over three or four days with Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kanum Pongal, beginning on the last day of the Tamil calendar month of Margazhi, and observed on consecutive days. Thai Pongal is observed on the first day of the Tamil calendar month of Thai and usually falls on 14 or 15 January in the Gregorian calendar. It is dedicated to the solar deity Surya and corresponds to Makar Sankranti, the Hindu observance celebrated under various regional names across the Indian subcontinent.
The ChottanikkaraDevi Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hindu mother goddess Bhagavati Lakshmi. She is believed to be residing in Chottanikkara (Mahalakshmi) along with her Husband Maha Vishnu. The main deity is also considered as Lakshmi Narayana according to the temple legend. The temple is Classified one among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition. The temple is located at Chottanikkara, a southern suburb of the city of Kochi in Ernakulam district, in the state of Kerala, India and is one of the most popular temples in the state.
Attukal is a Hindu pilgrimage centre located on the banks of Killi river, in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is situated about two kilometres to the south-east from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
Bhagavatī, is an Indian epithet of Sanskrit origin, used as an honorific title for goddesses in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, it is primarily used to address the goddesses Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati. In Buddhism, it is used to refer to several Mahayana Buddhist female deities, like Cundā.
Chakkulathukavu Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Durga. Situated near Thiruvalla in Neerattupuram, Thalavady Panchayat, Alappuzha District, Kerala, India, it is one of the most renowned temples in the state.
The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is a Hindu shrine located at Attukal in Kerala, India. It is situated near the heart of the city, two kilometres away from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, East Fort, in Thiruvananthapuram. The goddess of the temple is identified with Bhadrakali, mounted over a vetala. She is also identified with Kannagi, the heroine of Ilango Adigal's epic Cilappatikaram.
Mandaikadu Bhagavathy Amman Temple is a Hindu Temple where Devi Parvathi is the prime deity. This temple is also called as 'Women's Sabarimala'. It is located near Colachel in the Western coast of Kanniyakumari District, Tamil Nadu. This is one among the most renowned and most important Hindu temples in Kanniyakumari district.
Thazhoor Bhagavathy Kshetram is a 300-year-old Hindu temple on the banks of the Achankovil river in Vazhamuttom, Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. The Devi (goddess) is the main deity here. The centuries-old temple was fully reconstructed in 2020.
Sree Chirakkakavu Bhagavathi Temple is a Hindu temple near Thalassery, Kannur in the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest Devi Temples in North Kerala. The temple is surrounded by kavu or groves of trees.
Sree Kurumba Bhagavati Temple is a Hindu temple at Kodungallur, Thrissur District, Kerala state, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Bhadrakali, a form of Mahakali or simply Durga or Aadi Parashakthi or Bhuvaneshwari or Kannagi worshipped and significantly revered in Kerala. The goddess is known also by the names "Sri Kurumba"". This temple is the head of 64 Bhadrakali temples in Kerala. This Mahakali temple is one of the oldest functioning temples in India. The goddess of the temple represents the goddess in her fierce ('ugra') form, facing North, featuring eight hands with various attributes. One is holding the head of the demon king Daruka, another a sickle-shaped sword, next an anklet, another a bell, among others.
Irumkulangara Durga Bhagavathi Temple is a Hindu temple in Thottam, Manacaud P.O, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is about 1.8 kilometres to the southwest of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram city.
Adichikkavu Sree Durga Devi Kshetram, also known as the Adichikavu (Adichicavu) Devi Temple is one of the oldest temple in Pandanad village, Alapuzha. The temple is located at Pandanad in Chengannur taluk of Alappuzha district in the south Indian state of Kerala. The temple is situated about 6 km west of Chengannur, and 4 km east of Mannar.
Theppakulathuparai is a small village which is part of the Thirumalayampalayam town panchayat under the Coimbatore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As the name suggests it has rocky areas (parai). It is close to the Kerala border and enjoys a pleasant climate throughout the year. It is a village with less than 50 houses and only two small grocery stores selling essentials.
Anikkattilammakshethram is a Hindu Temple situated in Anicadu Village, 3.5 km from Mallappally in Pathanamthitta district in the southern part of Kerala, in the peninsular India.
The MajorVellayani Devi Temple is a highly revered shrine in Kerala, India, dedicated to goddess Bhadrakali. The shrine is situated in Vellayani 1.5 km west of Vellayani junction, 12 km southeast of Thiruvananthapuram on the eastern bank of Vellayani Lake. The temple is under the management of Travancore Devaswom Board. The temple structure has a bronze roof with traditional art work and carries Dravidian architecture. The temple has eastern and northern towers called Gopurams with statues of different Gods sculptured in them. The Gopurams function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex.
Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Devi Temple or Karikkakom Devi Temple is a temple to three Hindu goddess Chamundi located in Thiruvananthapuram, India at Karikkakom. It is more than 600 years old and enshrines a Panchaloha idol of the goddess Karikkakathamma – an incarnation of Chamundi. Chamundi Devi is worshiped there in three different forms: Maha Chamundi, Raktha Chamundi, and Bala Chamundi.
Pattupurackal Bhagavathy Temple is an ancient Bhadrakali temple located in Njeezhoor village, Kottayam, Kerala. It is the only temple in Njeezhoor village where the presiding deity is present. The Offering of naranga vilakku and neivilakku on Tuesdays and Fridays is very significant to this temple. The nearest towns are Kuravilangad and Kaduthuruthy. It is about 6 km and 11 km away from the temple respectively.The last renovation activities of the temple were done on March 19, 2016, with the presence of Kshetra Thantri Brahma Sree Anil Dhivakaran Namboothiri.The temple is managed by NSS Karayaogam Number 336.
Kadakkad Sree Bhadrakali Temple is a Hindu temple at Pandalam, India.It is located to the north of Kadakkad, by the Pathanamthitta MC Road. The temple complex also includes an anakkottil and an office room. The temple has arrangements for Hindu wedding, including feast hall and change rooms. It also has a stage to conduct cultural events. The main deity of the temple is Bhadrakali. The temple also has shrines of other deities such as Brahmarakshas, Yakshi, Nāga.
Keezha Sarakkalvilai is a small village in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu with Indian postal code 629002. It is an important pilgrimage and the site of the famous Bathirakali Amman Temple.
Attukal Pongala is a 10-day religious festival celebrated at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala. On the ninth day there is a huge gathering of millions of women on the temple surroundings. These women prepare a divine food made of rice in earthen pots and offer it to the Attukal Amma. The pongala preparation starts with the ritual called 'Aduppuvettu'. This is the lighting of the pongala hearth placed inside the temple by the chief priest. This is the earliest Pongala festival in Kerala.