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 PongalaOne 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.
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| Vilakkukett |
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| Chenda |
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| Chenda Melam |
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| Pooja for Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
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| Procession of Vilakkukett |
Light & Sound Shows |
| Fireworks |
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| Trivandrum Floweriest Association |
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| Devotional song perfomance organized byTrivandrum Floweriest Association |
Pongala PhotosOn 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.
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| Kolam |
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| Waiting for light up brick hearth (A scene from my house compound) |
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| Mud pots for preparing dishes |
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| Hearth is Light upped |
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| Prepared Jaggery Payasam |
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| Boiled Green Gram |
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| Therali Appam |
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| Mandaputtu |
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| Waiting for Temple Priest to pour holy water |
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| Temple priest pouring holy water to dishes |
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| cleaned compound |
Photos from Attukal Bhagavathi Temple |
| Kuthiyotta procession |
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| Kuthiyotta procession |
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| Kuthiyotta procession |
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| Kuthiyotta procession |
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| Kuthiyotta procession |
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| Thalapoly |
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| Main Stage |
LocationThiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum City, Kerala, INDIA
I have heard about this festival! Good explanation and nice colourful photoes!
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos on the procession, and decorations! The Pongal causes hunger and yummy :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post on this wonderful festival. Yet to witness it though in person.
ReplyDeletehttp://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/02/maha-kumbh-mela.html
super post super fotos yar...:)
ReplyDeleteYour 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.
ReplyDeleteWow---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!!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
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. :)
ReplyDeleteNicely captured. Thank you
ReplyDeleteYour 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!
ReplyDeleteSuperb photos of great procession, cheers Krishna.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo feature...
ReplyDeleteSeems 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
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic procession! The photos really capture the energy, lovely!
ReplyDeleteHow I wish I was in Trivandrum again!
ReplyDeleteSuch fantastic shots. Enjoyed seeing them.
Thanks for sharing another beautiful festival of our country. Lovely shots!
ReplyDeleteWow great pictures, especially the night shots. Nice to know about the festival.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photographs of the festivities. Really it is marvelous. I saw it live on TV.
ReplyDeleteWonderful set of pictures showcasing one more colorful festival of India, would love to attend it someday.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the shots.
ReplyDeleteYou've just brought the whole festival live and colorful!
ReplyDeleteWonderful coverage of the festival.
ReplyDeleteMagnificent really.But how did you manage to obtain these photos taken.
ReplyDelete