Restrictions of Covid-19: Pongala Devotees of Kerala to Perform Rituals at Homes

Kerala: In the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, preparing ‘Pongala’ is considered an auspicious ritual of this festival. Pongala is cooked by the women in earthen pots with rice, jaggery, and coconut. It is indeed a beautiful sight when the dedication to the Goddess is done in such a manner. As per the tradition, the whole food preparation simmers over the pot.

The famous festival “Attukal Pongala” will be held today in Kerala. Lakhs of devotees will take part will take part in this auspicious festival. But in comparison to the previous year, the devotees will perform the ritual at their homes this time due to the restrictions of Covid-19.

Even this year, the devotees are not allowed to offer ‘Pongala’ in public places. In fact, according to the Covid-19 protocol, they will only be allowed to enter the temple. As soon as the Pongala ritual will be over, Nivedhyam and offerings at the noon will be carried out at 3:40 pm.

For the Thiruvananthapuram district, the District Collector Navjoth Singh Ghosa has declared a holiday on Saturday and has also requested the people to maintain the protocols of Covid-19. The festival is a gathering of women. So, in 2009, this auspicious festival made a record in the Guinness Book of World Records for its largest gathering (around 2.5 million).