Attukal Pongala 2025: Dates, puja timings, rituals, significance & things to avoid during puja

Attukal Pongala 2025: Attukal Pongala is a regional festival, celebrated at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is also known as the largest gathering of women for a religious festival. During this festival, millions of women offer Pongala to the goddess Bhagavathy. Goddess Bhagavathy is also known as 'Attukalamma¡¯. Women prepare Pongala, a sweet dish made from rice, jaggery, coconut, and plantains, in earthen pots during puja. It is believed to bring luck, prosperity and blessings in the family.

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Attukal Pongala 2025 Date and Time

Attukal Pongala 2025 is the most auspicious regional festival celebrated by mostly women at Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Kerala. The Attukal Pongala festival in 2025 will take place from March 5 to March 15. But, the main celebration will be on March 13.

Attukal Pongala 2025 Puja Timings

1.) March 5, 2025: The auspicious timing for the Kappuketti ritual will be at 10:00 AM.

2.) March 7, 2025: Whereas, the auspicious timing for the Kuthiyottam ritual begins at 9:15 AM.

3.) March 13, 2025:

• Aduppuvettu (lighting of the hearth) at 10:15 AM.
• Pongala Nivedyam (offering) at 1:15 PM.
• Purathezhunnalethu rituals at 11:15 PM.

4.) March 14, 2025: The auspicious timing for the Kappazhikkal ritual will be at 10:00 PM.

5.) March 15, 2025: The auspicious timing for the Kuruthi Tharpanam ritual will be at at 1:00 AM.

The festival is celebrated with great faith and happiness, in general by women who prepare Pongala as an offering to the goddess Bhagavathy. Although boys participating in the Kuthiyottam offering begin a Vratham (they will undergo piercing).

Attukal Pongala Today pic.twitter.com/SVR6arm4gh

¡ª Ramaswamy (@viswaguru1964) February 25, 2024

Attukal Pongala 2025 Rituals and Puja Vidhi

During Attukal Pungala 2025, millions of women gather to prepare Pongala, a sweet dish made of rice, jaggery, coconut, and plantains to offer it to Attukal Amma. This regional festival has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest annual gathering of women.

Attukal Pongala 2025: Day-by-Day Rituals

• Kappukettu and Kudiyiruthu: The festival begins with the Kappukettu and Kudiyiruthu ceremony. During these, the idol of Devi is embellished with Kappu (bangles).
• Vratham: Boys participating in the Kuthiyottam offering begin a Vratham.
• Aduppuvettu: The chief priest of the temple lights the pongala hearth (Pandarayaduppu) inside the temple. And this diya marks the start of Pongala preparation.
• Pongala Preparation: Women light ritual fires at an auspicious time to prepare sweet customary rice in earthen pots. The chief priest lights the main hearth from the divine fire inside the sanctum sanctorum. After which, this fire is passed on from one stove to the next.
• Nivedyam: The prepared Pongala is sanctified.
• Kuruthi Tharpanam: The festival concludes with the Kuruthitharpanam (a sacrificial offering).
• Procession: A procession takes place from the temple to Manacaud Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, accompanied by Kuthiyottam boys and various folk artists.
• Aerial Showering of Flowers: Temple priests conclude the ceremony with an aerial showering of flowers and sprinkling of holy waters.

Puja Samagri for Attukal Pongala 2025

• Mouli
• Gangajal
• Janeu
• Dhoop
• Flowers
• Agarbatti
• Rice
• jaggery
• Plantains
• cotton
• Camphor
• Chandan
• Kumkum
• Havan Samagri Pkt
• Coconut
• Bangles
• Fruits (Five Types)

Attukal Pongala 2025 Significance

The Attukal Pongala 2025 festival symbolises the victory of good over evil. Also, it serves as a celebration of sisterhood and female empowerment. It is often referred to as the "Sabarimala for Women," highlighting its role as a space where women can gather and worship freely.

Did you know? - Attukal Pongala festival has been recognised by Guinness World Records for its huge women participation. In 2009, it recorded attendance of 2.5 million women participating in this most auspicious regional festival of kerala.

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¡ª Adv.VK Prasanth MLA (@vkprasanthtvpm) February 25, 2024

Attukal Pongala 2025: Things to Avoid During Puja

Below are the important guidelines and restrictions that devotees should follow for a safe and respectful celebration.

• Devotees are strictly advised against setting up cooking stoves near petrol stations to prevent any fire hazards. Since this puja does have a major "Diya lighting" ritual.
• The sale and consumption of alcohol will be prohibited in Vellar ward during the festival, from 6 PM on March 12 until 6 PM on March 13.
• Participants should avoid littering in and around the temple premises to show respect for the sacred space and the community involved in the festival.
• During puja, engaging in any form of disrespectful behaviour is discouraged. This includes loud arguments or actions that could disturb the sanctity of the rituals.
• It is essential to adhere to instructions from authorities, including parking restrictions and crowd management guidelines.

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