Attukal Pongala

Ok, for the uninitiated ,before u start wondering whether its some sort of exotic delicacy , lemme tell you it’s a religious festival held in Kerala.
Its an all-women affair. On Pongala day, women make an offering to the Attukal Devi , or the deity of the Attukal temple.(by the way, Attukal is the name of a place in the city. Which city? Now here’s a tongue twister- Thiruvananthapuram.A slightly less taxing version is Trivandrum.) Incidentally, it’s the capital of Kerala) Attukal Pongala day comes once a year, on a particular day. This year, it was today. And I participated. It’s the second time for me.
On this day, the entire city gears up for Pongala. It’s a holiday for the city. No vehicles are allowed on the roads once Pongala officially starts. People, mostly women, as only women are allowed to make this offering, come from all over the state & even outside it.
Its an amazing ritual to participate in. you can make any sort of sweetmeat using ingredients like rice, cane-sugar, milk, coconut & sometimes a special type of beans. Its prepared in little earthen pots, on a hearth that’s built out of bricks and dry wood. Although, nowadays you c lots of aluminum vessels. The hearth is simplicity incarnate. You balance the pot on 3 bricks and stuff the kindling in the spaces between the bricks.
The hearths are lit only after a flame, that’s believed to be passed on from the temple after the devi puja, is provided. The smoke and ash that’s given out from these hearths very nearly blind you, especially if there’s any wind.(In fact, I think that this one day contributes about as much CO2 as a whole week of traffic would.) its tough to stand barefeet in the scorching heat, with your eyes watering from the thick smoke of a million hearths, but in the end it gives you a sense of accomplishment like no other.
Once the Prasad (offering) has been prepared the women wait for a pujari( priest) from the temple to come & bless their preparation by sprinkling holy water on it. Priests are send out simultaneously in different directions, to cover maximum possible area.
There’s usually a rush to prepare the Prasad within the temple premises, but it’s quite impossible to accommodate the huge number of women. So we see hearths lining all the roads and by lanes, as far as 15kms (diameter) away from the temple.
All essential services, like food, water, beverages, etc are provided for free by clubs, residents associations & associations. But almost every home in the city is open to strangers, so that they can light their hearths. The people of the city usually provide food, water & basic requirements to those who make use of their compounds for the ritual.
Although, there are Pongalas in many different Devi temples, Attukal Pongala is by far the biggest. Lakhs of People believe in Attukal Devi’s powers, as can be seen from the huge turnout.