COVID-19 scenario restricts Attukal Pongala from being the usual gala affairThe milling multitudes and the burning brick hearths that annually line city streets on Attukal Pongala day were missing on Saturday. After lighting the Pongala hearths at the thidapally and the Valiya thidapally of the temple, the Pandara Aduppu was lit. Never before in recent memory had the city appeared so deserted on the day of Attukal Pongala, often dubbed the biggest assemblage of women, some city residents said. In fact, the city looked so different for a Pongala day,” she said. This year, the Attukal Pongala was offered in homes outside Thiruvananthapuram district also, as devotees could not make the annual pilgrimage.

Source: The Hindu February 27, 2021 15:33 UTC