Ananathapuri turns into 'Yaga-shala'; Attukal Pongala fervour grips capital city

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Conforming to the customary ritual, the main Tantri in Attukal temple, Tantri Thekkedath Kuzhikattu Parameswaran Vasudevan Bhattathiripad lit the fire in the ‘Pandara Adupu’ at 10:30 am marking the beginning of this year's revered Pongala ritual.

The fire was lit in the ‘Pandara Adupu’ after the completion of the Pantheeradi Pooja and Deeparadhana. After this Parameswaran Vasudevan Bhattathiripad handed over the lamp from inside the sanctum sanctorum to temple chief priest Goshala Vishnuvasudevan Namboothiri, who then lit the hearth of Valiyathitapalli.

Ministers V Sivankutty, GR Anil, Mayor Arya Rajendran, MPs Shashi Tharoor, K Muralidharan, AA Rahim, BJP leaders O Rajagopal, G Krishnakumar and others were the prominent faces during the holy event. The Pongala Nivedyam ceremony will be performed at 2:30 pm on Sunday after completion of the afternoon prayers.

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