Lakhs of women devotees offer pongala

Thiruvananhapuram, Feb 22 (UNI) Lakhs of women devotees today offered Pongala to Attukal Devi, marking the end of the ten-day festival at the Attukal Bhagavathy temple.

The priests lit the ''Pandara-aduppu'' (ceremonial hearth) in front of the temple amid chanting of devotional hymns, which marked the beginning of the Pongala. After this the devotees across the city lit their hearths to prepare various offerings to the deity.

From early morning, devotees were seen streaming into the city from the suburban areas, neighbouring districts and outside the State. The temple and nearly five-km of its radius were thronged with devotees.

A number of celebrities and foreign nationals had also turned up for the Pongala, which had entered the Guinness Book of Records for the highest turnout of women.

The Pongala will be offered to the deity at 1500 hrs.

UNI PN KVV YA DS1255