Streets lined up with more than 2.5 million stoves waiting for the festival are to be passed on.
Those who reserved the spots early wait for the Pongala rituals to begin, on the day of the festival.
The stoves are fired from the main pongala stove.
The streets beginning to fill with smoke
At the peak of the festival, the city scape filled with smoke covering the sun for several minutes
Meanwhile the festival porridge boils over in individual pots
The atmosphere gets suffocating as millions of stoves are burend together
The busy atmosphere as the stoves slowly cool down and women breaks for lunch
Women steaming a sweet dish prepared of rice, bananas and jaggery.
Streets filled with women returning home with their blessed offering.
Footpaths of the commercial heart of the city filled with pots in various sizes and shapes.
Blessed offering waiting to be packed for home.
Sulochana, a vendor from the suburbs trying her best to sell the pots.
Thankachi, a pot vendor for 20 years at the Pongala festival hopes the pot sale to go up towards the festival hours.
A plastic vendor from Thirunelveli occupying a spot between the mud pots, unseen in early years
Anjana helping her mother.
Women busy the streets with last minute shopping and reserving spots for stoves on Pongala eve.
Streets towards the temple dotted with deities sponsored by local shops and jewellers.
Many women use aluminium pots these days for convenience of travel.