Festive mood grips the city ahead of Attukal Pongala on March 3

The city buzzes with festive excitement as thousands prepare for the Attukal Pongala celebration on March 3.

A festive mood gripped the city on Sunday (March 1, 2026), as the clock wound down to the Attukal Pongala festival on Tuesday (March 3). 

Labelled as among the largest religious congregations of women in the country, thousands of families across Kerala and also neighbouring States are trickling into a six-km radius of the famed Attukal Devi Temple to offer a sacrament of rice and jaggery cooked on hastily assembled open hearths. 

Customarily, residents and places of worship, including mosques and churches, open their doors to devotees to allow them to bivouac and prepare the sacrament. 

Hundreds of devotees sleep rough on open ground prepared by residents’ associations. Many have reserved spaces in the festival area in advance to set up Pongala hearths. Business is brisk for vendors selling eathen pots, kindling and bricks for setting up open hearths. Several movie theatres have announced free screenings for devotees on Pongala eve. 

High-decibel sound systems blaring out deafening music and decorative lighting have imbued several localities in the city with a festive mood. The police’s attempts to curb sound pollution have been an uphill task for enforcers.

The Fire and Rescue Services have identified fire risk locations in the festival areas and positioned firefighting equipment, including fire tenders, accordingly. The Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner, K. Karthick, reviewed the security and traffic arrangements for the event.