Attukal Pongala (Attukal Ponkala):-
Attukal Pongala (Attukal Ponkala) is the most reputed festival of this temple, which attracts devotees from all parts of India. Attukal temple is also known as ‘the Sabarimala of Women‘,Tens of hundreds of women devotees throng together on the day of Pongala with their offerings to the Goddess and to seek blessings. The festival commences on Karthika day of Malayalam month Makaram-Kumbham (February-March).
The ten day Pongala festival held at Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, 2 km from Thiruvananthapuram, attracts thousands of female devotes from manay parts of the country. Men are not allowed in the vicinity of the temple during the Pongala. Pongala is a kind of sweet porridge, considered to be the goddess favourite offering. It is cooked by each devotee in a day pot on an open fire and the long line of women making the ritual offering extends up to East Fort and beyond.
It is a logistical nightmare. The temple premises can barely accommodate a few hundred devotees with their earthen pots and other paraphernalia for the preparation of the sweet rice gruel. So they occupy the streets, playgrounds and vacant lands in a 7-km radius from the temple and perform the chores in tandem with the temple rituals with the blessings of local representatives.
Spots on the streets are booked days in advance with bricks for the hearth placed strategically on the pavements. To avoid confusion and disputes, the bricks are initialled and the spots marked with chalk by representatives of devotees from far-flung areas. The devotees start arriving the previous day and residents of the area and local committees make arrangements for their stay.
Preparations for the pongala ritual begin a week in advance. Loudspeakers at every street corner blare devotional songs and the streets are swept clean and decorated with palm leaves and festoons. On the pongala day, women of all ages, dressed in off-white traditional attire, line the streets in full Kerala splendour!
The Pongala consists of rice, lentils, jaggery, coconut gratings, nuts, raisins and ghee.
Later, the idol of Devi is carried to Manacaud Sastha Temple in a colorful procession comprising of Thalapoli, Kuthiyottom, Annam, Vahanam, caparisoned elephants etc. Musical ensembles by famous artistes add to the festivities. En route onlookers greet the procession with Nirapara (a measure filled with paddy and decorated with flowers). The procession reaches back, the next morning, marking the end of the festival.
The ceremony began at an auspicious time of 10.30 am, when the chief priest of the Ayyappa Temple lit the traditional flame which was then passed on to the womenfolk for placing in the firewood to start cooking of Pongala. At the end of the ceremony, the Pongala was taken home as a prasadam.
The History and Mythology of Temple:-
The story invokes the presence of Kodungallur Bhagavathy and the slaying of the Pandyan King. The song will continue for all the nine days preceding Ponkala. The event of the Goddess annihilating the Pandyan King is accompanied by much sound and fury of the temple drums and "Vaykurava" by devotees, immediately followed by the lighting of the hearths for the preparation of the offering for the Goddess. This festival commemorates the victory of Good over Evil, by the slaying of Pandyan King. Throughout the festival an atmosphere of celebration and festivity prevails and there are the solemn observances such as regular conduct of Bhajans, musical concerts, ballets depicting folk and temple arts etc. in the temple premises. This is symbolic of the philosophy that human and divine affairs are inter-woven so minutely in all its disquisitions. Processions of colourful floats of the deity from all around, carried with pomp and devotion by the devotees congregating in the temple premises provides a pleasing experience.
Another story:-
A few centuries ago, the head of Mulluveettil family was met with a young girl who asked him to help her cross the Killi river in which he was performing his ritualistic prayers. The Karanavar (family head) knew it was no ordinary girl, because of her charm and charisma. He bowed before her and willingly took her to the other side of the river. He invited her to his home nearby and the whole family was preparing to receive this girl. However, they couldn’t find her as she had disappeared by the time Mulluveettil family was ready to receive her.
The Karanavar and his family were a little puzzled. The Karanavar (family head) saw the girl once again in his dream, in the same day as he saw the little girl. The girl appeared as an icon and told him to give her an abode in the nearby kavu (a grove where shrubs and wild animals including snakes are left undisturbed). She told him that he would see three lines at a specific point in the kavu and she wanted her abode erected there.
With joy, the old man reached the Kavu and to his surprise, he found three lines marked on the ground. He knew it was a sacred spot and he wasted no time erecting a temple. The temple became the abode of the goddess, who later came to be known as Attukal Devi (or Attukal Amma). Local devotees offered their prayers in this temple and soon the fame of this temple spread far and wide. The people also offered to renovate the temple and a bigger temple with a new icon was installed. The goddess was represented as a woman with four arms, each bearing a spear, sword, skull and shield. The then high priest of Badarinath Temple led the consecration ceremony.
The girl that appeared before the Karanavar of Mulluveettil family is known to be Kannaki. Kannaki is the famous heroine of Chipathikaram, a Tamil epic written by Elenkovadikal. She is the incarnation of Sri Parvathy, the consort of Lord Siva. She took this incarnation of destroyer goddess, to destroy the evil and to preserve good. Kannaki was returning from Madurai, a city which she has destroyed, when she took a sojourn at Attukal and let the Karanavar see her as a little girl. She was on her way to Kodungalloor.
Celebrating Attukal Pongala:-
Festivities begin Thottampattu (a song about Bhagavathi). These religious songs continue for nine days of the festival. On the ninth and the main day of Attukal Pongala thousands of women gather in the temple with materials for cooking Ponkala or Pongala. The ritual of cooking starts early in the morning and by noon, Pongala would be ready. Then the Melsanthi (chief priest) arrives with Devi's sword and bless the ladies by sprinkling holy water and showering flowers. The 'blessed' Pongala is taken back to the house by the ladies.
Later, the idol of Devi is carried to Manacaud Sastha Temple in a colorful procession comprising of Thalapoli, Kuthiyottom, Annam, Vahanam, caparisoned elephants etc. Musical ensembles by famous artistes add to the festivities. En route onlookers greet the procession with Nirapara (a measure filled with paddy and decorated with flowers). The procession reaches back, the next morning, marking the end of the festival.
Kuthiyottam and Thalappoli:-
Kuthiyottam performed by boys and Thalappoli by girls are two popular rituals made on the Ponkala day. A stream of young girls dressed in traditional attire holding Thalappoli starts very early in the morning with the hope that the Goddess almighty would be pleased to bestow on them beauty inward and outward, health, wealth and happiness. Boys below the age of 13 years make the offering of Kuthiyottam. These young boys represent the wounded soldiers of the Goddess Mahishasura Marddini. On the third day of the festival these young boys receive the prasadam (offering) from the temple priest and start a seven day penance to purify their body and mind. For the purpose they have to pass through rigorous physical and mental discipline such as sleeping on the floor, observing strict diet restrictions, staying in the temple etc. Besides these, the boys have to undergo such disciplines like prostrating 1008 times before the deity after their morning and evening oblations.
News & Events:-
Pongala festival has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest attendance of women on February 23, 1997. 1.5 million women had participated in that year’s Pongala.
Attukal Pongala (Attukal Ponkala) is the most reputed festival of this temple, which attracts devotees from all parts of India. Attukal temple is also known as ‘the Sabarimala of Women‘,Tens of hundreds of women devotees throng together on the day of Pongala with their offerings to the Goddess and to seek blessings. The festival commences on Karthika day of Malayalam month Makaram-Kumbham (February-March).
The ten day Pongala festival held at Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, 2 km from Thiruvananthapuram, attracts thousands of female devotes from manay parts of the country. Men are not allowed in the vicinity of the temple during the Pongala. Pongala is a kind of sweet porridge, considered to be the goddess favourite offering. It is cooked by each devotee in a day pot on an open fire and the long line of women making the ritual offering extends up to East Fort and beyond.
It is a logistical nightmare. The temple premises can barely accommodate a few hundred devotees with their earthen pots and other paraphernalia for the preparation of the sweet rice gruel. So they occupy the streets, playgrounds and vacant lands in a 7-km radius from the temple and perform the chores in tandem with the temple rituals with the blessings of local representatives.
Spots on the streets are booked days in advance with bricks for the hearth placed strategically on the pavements. To avoid confusion and disputes, the bricks are initialled and the spots marked with chalk by representatives of devotees from far-flung areas. The devotees start arriving the previous day and residents of the area and local committees make arrangements for their stay.
The Pongala consists of rice, lentils, jaggery, coconut gratings, nuts, raisins and ghee.
Later, the idol of Devi is carried to Manacaud Sastha Temple in a colorful procession comprising of Thalapoli, Kuthiyottom, Annam, Vahanam, caparisoned elephants etc. Musical ensembles by famous artistes add to the festivities. En route onlookers greet the procession with Nirapara (a measure filled with paddy and decorated with flowers). The procession reaches back, the next morning, marking the end of the festival.
The ceremony began at an auspicious time of 10.30 am, when the chief priest of the Ayyappa Temple lit the traditional flame which was then passed on to the womenfolk for placing in the firewood to start cooking of Pongala. At the end of the ceremony, the Pongala was taken home as a prasadam.
The History and Mythology of Temple:-
The story invokes the presence of Kodungallur Bhagavathy and the slaying of the Pandyan King. The song will continue for all the nine days preceding Ponkala. The event of the Goddess annihilating the Pandyan King is accompanied by much sound and fury of the temple drums and "Vaykurava" by devotees, immediately followed by the lighting of the hearths for the preparation of the offering for the Goddess. This festival commemorates the victory of Good over Evil, by the slaying of Pandyan King. Throughout the festival an atmosphere of celebration and festivity prevails and there are the solemn observances such as regular conduct of Bhajans, musical concerts, ballets depicting folk and temple arts etc. in the temple premises. This is symbolic of the philosophy that human and divine affairs are inter-woven so minutely in all its disquisitions. Processions of colourful floats of the deity from all around, carried with pomp and devotion by the devotees congregating in the temple premises provides a pleasing experience.
Another story:-
A few centuries ago, the head of Mulluveettil family was met with a young girl who asked him to help her cross the Killi river in which he was performing his ritualistic prayers. The Karanavar (family head) knew it was no ordinary girl, because of her charm and charisma. He bowed before her and willingly took her to the other side of the river. He invited her to his home nearby and the whole family was preparing to receive this girl. However, they couldn’t find her as she had disappeared by the time Mulluveettil family was ready to receive her.
The Karanavar and his family were a little puzzled. The Karanavar (family head) saw the girl once again in his dream, in the same day as he saw the little girl. The girl appeared as an icon and told him to give her an abode in the nearby kavu (a grove where shrubs and wild animals including snakes are left undisturbed). She told him that he would see three lines at a specific point in the kavu and she wanted her abode erected there.
With joy, the old man reached the Kavu and to his surprise, he found three lines marked on the ground. He knew it was a sacred spot and he wasted no time erecting a temple. The temple became the abode of the goddess, who later came to be known as Attukal Devi (or Attukal Amma). Local devotees offered their prayers in this temple and soon the fame of this temple spread far and wide. The people also offered to renovate the temple and a bigger temple with a new icon was installed. The goddess was represented as a woman with four arms, each bearing a spear, sword, skull and shield. The then high priest of Badarinath Temple led the consecration ceremony.
The girl that appeared before the Karanavar of Mulluveettil family is known to be Kannaki. Kannaki is the famous heroine of Chipathikaram, a Tamil epic written by Elenkovadikal. She is the incarnation of Sri Parvathy, the consort of Lord Siva. She took this incarnation of destroyer goddess, to destroy the evil and to preserve good. Kannaki was returning from Madurai, a city which she has destroyed, when she took a sojourn at Attukal and let the Karanavar see her as a little girl. She was on her way to Kodungalloor.
Celebrating Attukal Pongala:-
Festivities begin Thottampattu (a song about Bhagavathi). These religious songs continue for nine days of the festival. On the ninth and the main day of Attukal Pongala thousands of women gather in the temple with materials for cooking Ponkala or Pongala. The ritual of cooking starts early in the morning and by noon, Pongala would be ready. Then the Melsanthi (chief priest) arrives with Devi's sword and bless the ladies by sprinkling holy water and showering flowers. The 'blessed' Pongala is taken back to the house by the ladies.
Later, the idol of Devi is carried to Manacaud Sastha Temple in a colorful procession comprising of Thalapoli, Kuthiyottom, Annam, Vahanam, caparisoned elephants etc. Musical ensembles by famous artistes add to the festivities. En route onlookers greet the procession with Nirapara (a measure filled with paddy and decorated with flowers). The procession reaches back, the next morning, marking the end of the festival.
Kuthiyottam and Thalappoli:-
Kuthiyottam performed by boys and Thalappoli by girls are two popular rituals made on the Ponkala day. A stream of young girls dressed in traditional attire holding Thalappoli starts very early in the morning with the hope that the Goddess almighty would be pleased to bestow on them beauty inward and outward, health, wealth and happiness. Boys below the age of 13 years make the offering of Kuthiyottam. These young boys represent the wounded soldiers of the Goddess Mahishasura Marddini. On the third day of the festival these young boys receive the prasadam (offering) from the temple priest and start a seven day penance to purify their body and mind. For the purpose they have to pass through rigorous physical and mental discipline such as sleeping on the floor, observing strict diet restrictions, staying in the temple etc. Besides these, the boys have to undergo such disciplines like prostrating 1008 times before the deity after their morning and evening oblations.
News & Events:-
Pongala festival has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest attendance of women on February 23, 1997. 1.5 million women had participated in that year’s Pongala.
No comments:
Post a Comment