Attukal

Attukal Pongala is a ten-day-long Hindu festival celebrated annually in Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The primary day of the festival features the Attukal Pongala ritual, where millions of women gather around the temple and along roadsides to cook a sweet rice pudding (pongala) as an offering to the deity, Attukal Amman.

Significance: Attukal Pongala is renowned as one of the largest religious gatherings of women in the world, earning recognition in the Guinness World Records. The festival is dedicated to Attukal Amman, believed to be an incarnation of the goddess Parvati. Women from all walks of life participate, regardless of caste or creed, highlighting the festival's inclusive nature. It is believed that offering pongala to Attukal Amman fulfills wishes and brings prosperity and well-being.

Rituals: The festival culminates with the Pongala ritual. Women set up makeshift brick stoves and cook the pongala using rice, jaggery, coconut, and other ingredients in earthen pots. The head priest of the temple sprinkles holy water on the pongala to consecrate it, marking the completion of the offering. The festival also includes cultural performances, processions, and other religious ceremonies.

Etymology: "Attukal" refers to the place where the temple is located. "Pongala" is a Tamil word that translates to "to boil over," referring to the overflowing of the rice pudding during the cooking process.