ATTUKAL PONKALA

There us an ancient Bhagavathy temple (Mudippura) at Attukal in the Kaladi ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Over and above the daily pujas in the temple, Mandalapuja is performed every year from first Vrischikam to 12th Dhanu with occasional Chirappu. But the most important festival in this temple, generally known as Attukal Ponkala commences on Bharani day in Kumbhom (February-March) and continues for nine days. The festival begins with Thottampattu ( a song about Bhagavathi) which goes on during all the nine days. On the ninth day, several thousands of women assemble in the temple compound with ponkala. Many of them bring with them even firewood for cooking the Ponkala. Ponkala is an offereing usually made in Bhagavathy temples, prepared in the form of pudding by cooking rice, jaggery, coconut kernel and plaintain fruits in varying combinations. One ritual starts from very early in the morning and by noon all the ponkalas would be ready. When the melsanthi (chief priest) carrying Devi's sword goes over all the places around the temple and blesses them by sprinkling holy water and showering flowers. It is almost impossible to estimate the number of ponkalas. After this, the Devi is taken in procession to Manacaud Sastha Temple accompanied by Thalapoli, Kuthiyottom, Annam, Vahanam, Caparisoned elephants etc. In this procession famous troupes of percussion instruments like chenda Nagaswaram, band and Neyyandi Melam take part. There will also be Kumbhakudam (pageantry) during the procession. All along the route, the procession is received with Nirapara ( a measure filled with paddy and decorated with flowers) arranged in front of houses. The procession returns only in the next morning.


ARTHUNKAL FEAST

St. Andrew's Forane Church at Arthunkal, one of the sacred churches in Kerala, attracts lacks of devotees both Christians and non-Christians every year from all parts of the State. The feast of St. Sebastian is celebrated on a grand scale for eleven days in a year. Owning to the manageable crowding of pilgrims and the resultant confusion on January 20 the final day of the feast, the church authorities have instituted another minor feast on the 8th day after the principal feast. This is known as Ettamperunnal. Of late this feast also has attained as much importance as the principal feast.

Among the devotees who flock to this church for worship a greater part consists of those who have recovered from serious illness and the other who have escaped grave accidents. The maimed, the crippled and the mentally derange, also visit the church. Those who have received special favors from the saint show their gratitude by crawling on their knees from the local beach of the church, known as Urulunercha, and make offering of Gold and Silver replicas of human limbs, bows and arrows etc.

On the 18th day of January at the day dawns and the gates of the church are opened, thousands of pilgrims who return from the Sastha temple of Sabarimala throng to this sacred place, take bath from the tank attached to the church and pay their homage to the Saint.