Attukal Pongala begins sans massive crowd
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‘Payasam,’ rice, ‘manda puttu,’ and ‘therali appam’ are the principle choices to the deity
In what is probably a primary in latest reminiscence, the famed Attukal Pongala received off to a begin right here on Saturday morning with the providing on the Attukal Bhagavathy temple being restricted solely to the ‘pandara aduppu’ – the principle fireside.
The mammoth crowds related to what is named the biggest annual congregation of girls have been absent this yr following the State authorities and the temple belief’s choice to scale down the competition within the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pongala, actually the showstopper of the 10-day annual competition, sees ladies, significantly from the southern districts of the State, descend on the capital metropolis, at instances a few days forward, to e book their locations to supply Pongala to the goddess Bhagavathy. This yr although, devotees have been being allowed inside solely to supply prayers. The hundreds and hundreds of pots atop makeshift red-brick hearths made that normally dot the temple, its environment, and lots of thoroughfares within the metropolis gave solution to quiet Pongala choices at properties.
People’s representatives, together with Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran; Mayor Arya Rajendran; Shashi Tharoor, MP; and MLAs V.K. Prasanth, O. Rajagopal, and V.S. Sivakumar have been amongst those that reached the temple forward of the lighting of the principle fireside.
After the rituals contained in the temple, temple trantri Thekkedath Kuzhikkattillathu Parameswaran Vasudevan Bhattathiripad handed over the flame from the sanctum sanctorum to melsanthi P. Easwaran Namboothiri to mild the Pongala fireside on the ‘thidapally’ and the ‘Valiya thidapally’ of the temple. The ‘pandara aduppu’ (most important fireside) was lit round 10.55 a.m. in an environment of piety and worship.
Simultaneously, devotees kicked off the Pongala preparation at their properties too. ‘Payasam,’ rice, ‘manda puttu,’ and ‘therali appam’ are the principle choices to the deity. Prayers and ululations marked the preparation of the providing on the temple.
The ‘nivedyam’ (sanctification) will likely be held at 3.40 p.m. COVID-19 has pressured a change on this ritual too. ‘Pottis’ (clergymen) from the temple won’t fan out throughout the town to sanctify the fireplace as at all times. The sanctification will likely be achieved by the devotees themselves, to coincide with the nivedyam on the temple.
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