The Attukal Pongala Festival in the city of Thiruvananthapuram saw record turnout again, with millions of women attending the sacred event. The festival, held every year and connected to the goddess Attukal Bhagavathy, is one of the world’s largest all-female religious congregations.
One of the special features of the festival is the large-scale involvement of women from all over Kerala, who gather to make offerings of rice, jaggery, and coconut in open fire as a devotional practice. The festival not only brings out the religious enthusiasm but also demonstrates unity and shared spirituality.
The streets of Thiruvananthapuram become a sea of women in their colorful clothes, each woman praying for health, prosperity, and happiness. The festival has become more popular with the passage of time, and pilgrims come from far and wide, and even from outside the country.
As the Attukal Pongala Festival remains active, it is a symbol of women’s resilience, faith, and neighborhood solidarity. The festival is a reminder of the well-established cultural and religious practices of Kerala.
