Attukal Pongala
Feb–Mar, on the Pooram star day of Kumbham (lunar calendar)
The Attukal Bhagavathy temple in southern Thiruvananthapuram holds a ten-day festival in the Malayalam month of Kumbham, in February or March. Its climax, on the Pooram star day, is the Pongala, when women from across Kerala and beyond cook pongala, a dish of rice, jaggery, coconut and ghee, in new earthen pots on temporary brick stoves as an offering to the goddess.
The gathering is so large that the hearths spread out from the temple through kilometres of streets, lanes and courtyards across the city. At a signal from the temple, the fires are lit together and the city fills with smoke. When the offering is cooked, priests sprinkle holy water over the pots, and the women carry them home. The scale and order of the event are extraordinary.
Only women take part in the cooking, but visitors can watch respectfully from the streets. Traffic in the city is heavily restricted, so we plan the day carefully from Kovalam, arriving early and walking with a female guide through the neighbourhoods near the temple. The date changes each year, so check current status before you travel.
How to do it well
- Leave Kovalam very early; roads close and the city fills before dawn.
- Dress modestly in light cotton and carry water; it is hot and smoky.
- Photograph with permission and avoid stepping near the hearths.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
When is Attukal Pongala?
It falls on the Pooram star day in the Malayalam month of Kumbham, usually in late February or March, at the climax of the ten-day Attukal temple festival. The date changes each year with the lunar calendar, so check current status before you travel.
Can men attend Attukal Pongala?
Only women cook the pongala offering, but men and visitors can watch from the streets, and many men help with logistics and serve water. Visitors should keep clear of the hearths, dress modestly and follow police and volunteer instructions in the crowded areas.
What is pongala?
Pongala is a sweet offering of rice cooked with jaggery, grated coconut, ghee and sometimes bananas and cardamom, made in a new earthen pot over an open fire. At Attukal, it is offered to the goddess and then taken home as a blessing to share with the family.
How do we reach Attukal from Kovalam?
The temple is in southern Thiruvananthapuram, about 15 km from Kovalam. On Pongala day, many roads are closed and traffic is heavy from the night before, so we leave very early, park at a distance and walk the final stretch with a guide.
Festival journeys
Routes built around the calendar
