Photo Album | Behind the Scene of Vilakkukettu of Attukal Bhagavathi Temple Pongala Mahotsav

Attukal Pongala is the annual day festival of Attukal Bhagavathi Temple located in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum, capital city of Kerala State in South India.  The ten days of annual festival is celebrated on February/March every year.  This year the festival is held on 18 to 27 February 2013.  Nineth day of the festival is celebrated as Pongala (26th February 2013).  The Pongala is entered into Guinness World Records for highest number of women participants in annual gathering.  The pongala is happening around 5kms of temple surrounding.  According to the temple authorities, more than 25 lakhs (2.5 million) women participated in this year.  Here I am presenting some of the photos captured during the festival season.  More about the temple and festival please follow links.  Attukal Bhagavathi Temple and Pongala


Vilakkukettu Photos

One of the main events of this festival is Vilakkukettu.  During this festival season some people doing this vilakkukettu as offering to Attukal Bhagavathi.  Usually vilakkukettu can be doing by decorating with different articles like leaves of coconut tree, stem of banana tree, flowers and other decorating items.  At night a procession is organized to the temple.  Different kinds of cultural arts such as chenda, band, kavadi and others are accompanying along with the vilakkukettu.

Vilakkukett

Chenda

Chenda Melam

Pooja for Vilakkukett


Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett

Procession of Vilakkukett





Light & Sound Shows








Fireworks





Trivandrum Floweriest Association

Devotional song perfomance organized byTrivandrum Floweriest Association






Pongala Photos

On the day of Pongala, people prepares different types of dishes like jaggery  payasam, milk payasam, therali appam, mandaputtu and boiled green gram to dedicate Attukal Bhagavathi.  At the end, the temple priest pours holy water to their dishes.

Kolam

Waiting for light up brick hearth (A scene from my house compound)

Mud pots for preparing dishes

Hearth is Light upped






Prepared Jaggery Payasam

Boiled Green Gram

Therali Appam

Mandaputtu

Waiting for Temple Priest to pour holy water

Temple priest pouring holy water to dishes


cleaned compound


Photos from Attukal Bhagavathi Temple









Kuthiyotta procession

Kuthiyotta procession

Kuthiyotta procession

Kuthiyotta procession

Kuthiyotta procession

Thalapoly

Main Stage


Location
Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum City, Kerala, INDIA

Comments

  1. I have heard about this festival! Good explanation and nice colourful photoes!

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  2. Wonderful photos on the procession, and decorations! The Pongal causes hunger and yummy :)

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  3. Great post on this wonderful festival. Yet to witness it though in person.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/02/maha-kumbh-mela.html

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  4. super post super fotos yar...:)

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  5. Your photos are wonderful. I especially like your night pictures -- they are crisp and colorful. Thank you for the information and thank you for sharing this festival with us.

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  6. Wow---what a marvelous festival... And your photos are TERRIFIC. They are so colorful --and everyone seems to be having a great time. Thanks for sharing with us!!
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  7. Oh wow. The food, the soup particularly, looks elicious. Can I have a cip? Haha. Love the festival, such pomp and pageantry, and I see an item that I have always been curious what they're called - KOLAM! Finally a name, Thanks for that. :)

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  8. Your pics took me to the spot, enjoyed this post very much, the drummers and the procession pics are tempting me to take out my paints and brushes!

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  9. Superb photos of great procession, cheers Krishna.

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  10. Seems a very colourful and popular festival.Your pictures were all encompassing giving the various features of the temple and festival along with short narration.Thanks

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  11. What a fantastic procession! The photos really capture the energy, lovely!

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  12. How I wish I was in Trivandrum again!
    Such fantastic shots. Enjoyed seeing them.

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  13. Thanks for sharing another beautiful festival of our country. Lovely shots!

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  14. Wow great pictures, especially the night shots. Nice to know about the festival.

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  15. Beautiful photographs of the festivities. Really it is marvelous. I saw it live on TV.

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  16. Wonderful set of pictures showcasing one more colorful festival of India, would love to attend it someday.

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  17. You've just brought the whole festival live and colorful!

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  18. Wonderful coverage of the festival.

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  19. Magnificent really.But how did you manage to obtain these photos taken.

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