Thiruvananthapuram: The famed Attukal Pongala began in the state's capital city on Tuesday morning, with the lighting of the pandara aduppu.

Temple tantri Thekkadath Parameswaran Vasudevan Bhattathiripad passed the flame from the sanctum sanctorum to the chief priest following which hearths at thidapally, valiya thidapally were lit. Assistant priest then lit the pandara aduppu inside the temple at 9.45 am. Scores of devotees, who waited in prayer, then lit the hearths.

Chief priest sanctified the Pongala at 2.45 PM by sprinkling Holy water, blessing the devotees, who then offered the Pongala.

Devotees from across the state and beyond had began arriving days in advance, turning large parts of the city into a sea of brick hearths prepared for the ritual offering.

Heavy rush was witnessed at the railway station and bus stands on the eve of the festival. In many areas, women lined roads and lanes overnight, setting up hearths to prepare the sacred pongala, a mixture of rice, jaggery and scraped coconut, for the presiding deity of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple. The ritual, performed exclusively by women, is considered one of the largest gatherings of women devotees in the world.

The pongala marks the culmination of the temple’s 10-day annual festival. According to legend, it commemorates the hospitality extended by local women to Kannagi, the divine heroine of the Tamil epic Silappadhikaram, during her journey after destroying Madurai.

The festival also reflects Kerala’s tradition of communal harmony. This year, an appeal by Palayam Imam V P Suhaib Maulavi urging mosques and Muslim households to open their doors to Hindu devotees went viral on social media, drawing widespread appreciation.

Health Minister Veena George said elaborate medical arrangements have been put in place. Medical teams and ambulances have been deployed at 10 locations across the city, with 108 ambulance services stationed from 5 am until the rituals conclude. Special control rooms are functioning at the District Medical Office and near the temple.

In view of rising temperatures, 12 hospitals have been readied to treat heat-related illnesses. Emergency facilities, including cooling arrangements to prevent sunburn and heatstroke, have been set up at health centres, with private hospitals in the Attukal area also on alert.

Southern Railway has announced additional measures, including special trains, extra stoppages and rescheduling, to ensure smooth travel for the large number of devotees arriving for the festival.