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| BACK TO FESTIVALS |
| PONGALA |
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Celebrated In :Neerettupuram, near Thiruvalla,Kerala
It is 12 Km westward from the town Thiruvalla
Specialty : 'Sabarimala of Women'
This is the phenomenally renowned festival that takes place in the temple during the month of "Vrischikam" (November/December).This is the time when the glory of the Goddess is at its peak .Lakhs of women devotees gather around the temple as early as even one week before the function. The temple will be over crowded and the devotees arrange places for offering the pongala on both sides of the main streets. |
| The queue usually extends to a surprising length of 20 Km. Rice,coconut and jaggery are brought by women devotees along with round earthen pots for cooking. The Chief Priest lights the main hearth from the divine fire inside the sanctorum. This fire is exchanged from one oven to another, Every year at the time of lighting the main hearth an eagle is found to circle far above the sky.This is an unfailing blessing of the Goddess. The sight of the bird drives the devotees in to an inexplicable feeling of ecstacy. They uter the divine names of the mother and the atmosphere echoes and reverberates with a thousand names of the Goddes. |
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