Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): The Attukul Devi Temple is famous for the 'Attukal Pongala' celebration, which is considered one of the largest religious congregations of women in the world. At this temple, two kids prayed for Rahul Gandhi to become the Prime Ministers of India by offering 'pongala' to the the Attukal goddess.
These children have Rahul during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Nivedya and Nived are the children of Haidarali, who is a resident of Cheriyathura, Thiruvananthapuram. Speaking to ETV Bharat, the children said they met Rahul when the Bharat Jodo Yatra reached Thiruvananthapuram. The Congress leader congratulated both of them that day. These children say that the Congress MP did the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Jammu and Kashmir for the upliftment of the poor people of India.
The Attukal devi temple is popularly known as "Women's Sabarimala" where lakhs of women devotees line up every year to offer 'pongala' to the deity. Pongala is a gruel made of rice, jaggery, ghee and coconut. Women come here and perform 'pongala' to fulfil their wishes.
'Attukal Pongala'
This splendid ritual made it to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2009 for being the largest religious gathering of women on a single day when 2.5 million took part in it. As per a local legend, the annual festival commemorates the hospitality accorded by women in the locality to Kannagi, the divine incarnation of the heroine of the Tamil epic 'Silappadhikaram'.
Kannagi was accorded this hospitality while she was on her way to avenge the injustice meted out to her husband Kovalan, after destroying Madurai city. Attukal Temple is called the "Women's Sabarimala" because only women perform rituals here just like how men predominantly undertake the pilgrimage to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala.
Also read : Lakhs of devotees take part in 'Pongala' festival amid coronavirus scare
Attukal Pongala is an inalienable part of women devotees' lives in Kerala that lakhs took part in it in 2020 regardless of the Covid pandemic threat at that time. Taking all necessary precautions, the women went on and made their offerings at the Attukal Bhagavathy temple.
