Attukal Temple

Braving the hot sun, thousands of women prepared 'Pongala' (offering) in makeshift brick stoves to appease the presiding deity of Attukal Bhagavathy temple here, in what is called as one of the world's largest all women gatherings.

Tears rolling down their cheeks, little boys between five and 12 are desperate to be freed so that they can be with their mothers on the other side of the tall iron gates at the Attukal temple in Kerala. There was panic and chaos after thick smoke enveloped the temple courtyard where women were offering pongala or the sweet rice to Attukal Devi, of...

Kerala top cop and the state's first woman Director General of Police R Sreelekha has hit out at the famous Attukal Temple -- widely considered as women's Sabarimala -- for cruelty against children in the name of the temple goddess.

'Pongala' offerings made at the Attukal Devi temple in Thiruvananthapuram in makeshift brick stoves are turning out to be a blessing for the homeless as the bricks will be used for construction of houses for the needy.

A record 40 lakh women devotees are expected to take part in the 10-day Attukal Pongala festival that begins at the Attukal Bhagavathi temple in Thiruvananthpuram on Tuesday, officials said.

The capital of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, is enveloped in smoke, as a sea of women devotees make their offerings. They are celebrating Attukal Pongala.

Women in thousands are converging in the Kerala capital on the eve of the famed "Pongala" festival of Attukal Bhagavathi temple, billed as the world's largest religious convergence of women.

The Kerala government has allotted Rs 12 crore for development works in connection with the Pongala festival to be held at the Attukal Devi temple on March 7.

As the number of Sabarimala pilgrims arriving on the Attukal temple premises is increasing day by day, lack of sufficient water and sanitation facilities is testing the resolve of quite a few devotees.

Braving the hot sun, thousands of women prepared 'Pongala' (offering) in makeshift brick stoves to appease the presiding deity of Attukal Bhagavathy temple here, in what is called as one of the world's largest all women gatherings.

Tears rolling down their cheeks, little boys between five and 12 are desperate to be freed so that they can be with their mothers on the other side of the tall iron gates at the Attukal temple in Kerala. There was panic and chaos after thick smoke enveloped the temple courtyard where women were offering pongala or the sweet rice to Attukal Devi, of...

Kerala top cop and the state's first woman Director General of Police R Sreelekha has hit out at the famous Attukal Temple -- widely considered as women's Sabarimala -- for cruelty against children in the name of the temple goddess.

'Pongala' offerings made at the Attukal Devi temple in Thiruvananthapuram in makeshift brick stoves are turning out to be a blessing for the homeless as the bricks will be used for construction of houses for the needy.

A record 40 lakh women devotees are expected to take part in the 10-day Attukal Pongala festival that begins at the Attukal Bhagavathi temple in Thiruvananthpuram on Tuesday, officials said.

The capital of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, is enveloped in smoke, as a sea of women devotees make their offerings. They are celebrating Attukal Pongala.

Women in thousands are converging in the Kerala capital on the eve of the famed "Pongala" festival of Attukal Bhagavathi temple, billed as the world's largest religious convergence of women.

The Kerala government has allotted Rs 12 crore for development works in connection with the Pongala festival to be held at the Attukal Devi temple on March 7.

As the number of Sabarimala pilgrims arriving on the Attukal temple premises is increasing day by day, lack of sufficient water and sanitation facilities is testing the resolve of quite a few devotees.