Chakkulathukavu Pongala on Dec. 4th

Thiruvananthapuram: The world-renowned Pongala at the Chakkulathukavu Shree Bhagavathi temple, which is also known as the women’s Sabarimala, will be celebrated on December 4th.

The rituals will start with the Ashta Drivya Maha Ganapati Homam at 4.30 am. After Nirmalya Darshanam at 9 am, the Pongala will be inaugurated. The lighting of the fire in the ‘Pandara Aduppu’ with the flame brought from the lamp which never douses inside the sanctum sanctorum by the chief priest Shri. Radhakrishnan Nambuthiri will start off the Pongala.

Subsequently, fire will be lighted in lakhs of’ “Pongala Aduppu’ within 25 kms radius of the Chakkulathu kavu. The Nivedyam will be prepared in front of the Ganapati image and brass lamps. Under the supervision of temple administrator Shri.Manikuttan Nambuthiri, more than 100 priests will do the Pongala Nivedyam. In the evening at 5 pm, the cultural meet will be inaugurated by Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. MLA Thomas Chanday will preside over the function.

The chief priest Radhakrishnan Nambuthiri will conduct religious discourse. The Asianet chairman Rajiv Chandrasekhar will light the lamp of Karthika Stumbam. With the Kartika lamp ceremony and fire works, the Pongala will come to an end. For distribution of Pongala coupons, special counters will be opened in the temple premises. During the press conference, temple administrator, Shri. Manikuttan Nambuthiri, Samiti president, Adv. K. Gopalakrishanan Nair, Ramesh Elamon, PRO Suresh KavumBhagom etc were presented.