THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Participation in religious festivals is no longer a taboo for CPM. On the eve of  Attukal Pongala festival on Monday, party leaders, workers and sympathisers fanned out on the streets of the city to be part of the activities. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan visited Attukal temple premises to launch the distribution of steel utensils to devotees. The steel utensils are being given to the devotees as part of corporation’s initiative for a green pongala this time. “Our cadres are participating in every locality. They are helping out the devotees and making arrangements at the local level,” said CPM district Secretary Kadakampally Surendran. The members of CPM branch, local, area committees, CITU workers, members of SFI,DYFI are all actively taking part in festival related activities. It may be recalled that the state conference of the CPM held last year, had given a call to party workers to participate in popular religious festivals. According to CPM leaders, religious places, religious festivals were being misused by Sangh Parivar outfits for their vested political interests. 

It is in this background that the party decided not to leave the field open for Sangh Parivar organisations. The party members have put up huge banners carrying the pictures of leaders like V. S. Achuthanandan and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, welcoming  devotees.ATTUKAL, INDIA - MAR 7: Large number of women devotees to participate in Attukal Pongala festival walk through the streets on March 7, 2012 in Attukal,Trivandrum India. Use of this image in advertising or for promotional purposes is prohibited. We found 3830 Ads Rent » Shops - Offices - Commercial Space Sold by uRead-shop (4.7 out of 5 | 44,292 ratings) and Fulfilled by Amazon. Delivery to pincode 400001 - Mumbai within 2 - 4 business days. Lekshmy Rajeev is a poet, columnist and translator. She is the daughter of the late advocate K.G. Sujathan and Prasanna. Her poems have been published in reputed literary magazines and journals and many websites. Her volume of poetry titled Dusk Diary was published by the Sahitya Akademi in 2011.

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Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, Park View, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India - 695 033Tourist Information toll free No: 1-800-425-4747 (within India only). All rights reserved © Kerala Tourism 2013. Developed & Maintained by Invis Multimedia.Today is a big festival in Trivandrum. Thousands of women will make the pilgrimage to the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple downtown. More than 3 million women (30 lakhs), both young and old, rich and poor, Indian and foreign are expected to participate this year. I’m told Attukal Pongala festival is registered in the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest gathering of women in a single place on a single day in the world. I am honored to be here. The timing of this festival is related to the full moon. Nisha is very involved in this festival, and a fervent believer in the positive power of pongala. While stirring her four clay pots she explains to me the meaning of the pongala. I take notes, which is a good thing because once the festival gets going I am interviewed on a live radio station called “Club FM” and am actually able to answer questions about the festival intelligently.

Nisha tells me that the word ‘Pongala’ means to boil over, and refers to the ritual offering of a porridge made with rice, coconut milk, cashew nuts, raisins, and chopped bananas. The pongala is cooked in clay pots which must face east. Though I don’t catch the significance of why the pots must face east, I diligently take notes so I can try to make sense of it all later. She tells me the pots are prepared early in the morning, the pongala simmers all day, and eventually the poojari (Hindu priest) passes by and sprinkles rose water on the devotees and their offerings to signify their prayers are being heard. Mark stays home today to rest and catch up on some work. We’ve only been in India for less than a week, but we’ve taken in so many sounds, images, experiences, aromas, food and cultural exchanges this week that he simply feels like being alone. I can understand that, so I go with Nisha to take in a few hours of this unique event which, if I understand correctly, is supposed to give mental strength to withstand the miseries of life.

With her recent tragedy (miscarriage) she needs all the mental strength the gods can give her. Bijoy and Nisha do not live at the homestay; they have a centrally located apartment which means they are on the poojari priest´s route. As Nisha stirs her four overflowing pots she is hoping the poojari will bring her inspiration and strength. Everywhere I look there are women making their way to the temple, carrying the required mud pot, with dried coconut palms on their heads. The streets are filled with colorful saris and the sidewalks are aflame. I don’t stay that long, for it is a hot day and Bijoy offers to take me back before the streets become too congested. Like Mark, I too am a bit tired from all the excitement of the last few days. Nonna Devi is delighted when I return because she gets to feed me/us again. Later Nisha stops by with some pongala to share with us. She adds some sweet brown molasses “for the birthday girl”. I try the pongala despite my reservations.