South India contains its fair share of unique pilgrimage centres. These divine places of worship have a prominent Sthala Purana, devoted followers, distinctive customs, and dedicated festivals and celebrations. The deities of these Sthala / temples have been consecrated since ancient times and are spiritually intoxicating places of worship. One such beautiful temple, full of history and charming architecture, is the sacred temple of Attukal Bhagavathy/ Attukal Amma, located in Kerala.

THE TEMPLE OF ATTUKAL BHAGAVATHY

Attukal is a famous pilgrimage centre. The temple is in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on the banks of the river KILLI. Attukal is well known in the country for its Attukal Bhagavathy temple. This temple is in close proximity ( about 2 km) to the very famous Padmanabhaswamy temple. The devotees and pilgrims who visit the Padmanabhaswamy temple do not consider their visit complete without worshipping Attukal Amma. Women form the largest devotee group of this temple. This ancient Bhagavathy temple is called the Sabarimala for women. The deity here is adored and revered as the supreme mother - the mighty creator, the preserver and the destroyer.

THE ORIGIN OF ATTUKAL AMMA

The origin of Attukal Amma is fascinating. It is associated with the well-known Tamil epic Silappathikaram. The word Silappathikaram means a tale of an anklet. It is a tragic love story of Kannagi and her husband, Kovalan. Attukal Bhagavathy is said to be the divinised version of Kannagi.

In the epic, Kannagi and Kovalan married. But, shortly after their marriage, Kovalan lusts for a court dancer called Madhavi. He spends his time with her and splurges his wealth on her. Kannagi is the protagonist and is an ideal wife. Kannagi remained loyal and waited for her infidel husband - Kovalan, to return to her. Kovalan soon lost all his wealth and went back to Kannagi. Both Kannagi and Kovalan decide to start their life from scratch.

Kannagi had a pair of anklets. She asked Kovalan to sell one (from the pair) for money. Coincidentally, the anklets of the queen got stolen. At the same time, Kovalan tried to sell the anklet belonging to Kannagi. The soldiers of the kingdom found Kovalan with the anklets and, thinking them to be their queens, beheaded Kovalan without holding a trial.

Kannagi heard the unfair way the soldiers treated her husband. It infuriated her. She rushed to the court and threw the other anklet(from the pair - which she had with her), breaking it before the king. The anklets broke, revealing rubies inside. On the contrary, the anklets the queen had lost had pearls inside them. Kannagi is heartbroken and curses the kingdom of Madurai to burn.

Soon after, Kannagi left the city and reached Attukal in Kerala. She appeared before a notable member of the Mulluveetil family. The head of the family was old. He was praying on the banks of the Killi River. When this young girl approached, she asked the man to help her cross the river. The head of the family helped her and took her home. The members of the household welcomed her. But, strangely after, the young girl disappeared.

The young girl reappeared one day in a dream of the old man/head of the family. In his dream, she asked him to build an abode for her near the shrubs/herbs and marked three lines. The next day, the head of the family visited the spot (that he dreamt of) and was shocked to find the sacred markings as seen in his dreams. He immediately took steps to build a temple on the holy spot. They installed and consecrated a beautiful deity with four arms-bearing weapons. The notable priest of the Badrinath temple performed the consecration ceremony.

ATTUKAL PONGALA

Attukal Pongala is a renowned 10-day long festival. It is unique to Attukal Bhagavathy Amma. This festival falls in the month of Makaram-Kumbam ( roughly between February & March). The festival commences on Kartika day ( according to the Malayalam Calendar) with the traditional Kappukettu and Kudiyiruthu ceremonies.

Kudiyiruthu is a ceremony/ritual where Goddess Attukal Bhagavathy is invited (by the high priest) to reside in a thatched shed made of coconut leaves( inside the temple premises). Soon after, thottampattu begins. Thottampattu commences with the singers, rendering soulful songs on Kannagi Charitram. The songs are an integral part of the Kappukettu ceremony that follows. The singers sing on all the team days of the festival. The lyrics change according to the rituals that followed that day. Ensuite the Thottampattu, Kappukettu follows.

During the Kappukettu ceremony, the Kodangallur Bhagavathy visits Attukal Bhagavathy. The head priest invokes the Kodangallur Bhagavathy into the sword of Attukal Bhagavathy by singing many traditional songs. Finally, the Kappu (bangle-like ornament made using Panchalokam) is securely fastened to the sword.

The ninth day of the festival is the most important. Ladies from near and far arrive in huge numbers at the temple. They offer Pongal / Pongala in earthen pots to the Goddess. Pongal consists of Rice, Jaggery & ghee. Pongal means that which boils over.

Women gather in large numbers. This ceremony holds a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of Women at one place in the world. The temple broke its record in 2009 when 2.5 million women offered Pongala to the Goddess.

This festival also includes young boys and girls in the festivities. Young boys (under 13 years) observe a seven-day penance / Vrat and offer their prayers called the Kuthiyottam. Young girls make an offering called a Thalappoli on the 9th day. They keep flowers, lighted lamps and other offerings on a round plate and offer them to their beloved Goddess.

After offering the Pongala in the evening, the Goddess Attukal Bhagavathy travels to Manarcaud. The head priest and the Kuthiyottam boys accompany the deity to the Sastha Temple. On the 10th and final day of the festival, the Goddess returns, and the kappu tied is unfastened and removed from the sword. The 10-day-long festival concludes.

Bhajans, music concerts, and classical and folk dances are sung/ performed on all the festival days. The devotees take out possessions and floats of their beloved Goddess. Thus, the Devotees of Attkal Bhagavathy cherish this festival of Pongala and join in the celebrations with utmost devotion, praying that the Goddess will protect them and bless them with good fortune.

The temple, the festival and the celebrations are a grand confluence of faith, devotion, customs, and culture. The devotees gathering, their love and devotion and their offering is a lovely sight to watch.

Vaishnavi Gurusankar is a passionate educator, a wife, and a mother. She has over a decade of experience as an educator and has been closely working with teachers and children of all ages. She is also an active parenting blogger and founder of Magical Unicorn, an exclusive parenting blog founded on the Indian ethos, values, and stories at its core. She has also authored the book "Bharatyam : Science behind Hindu Practices & Way of Life"