The annual Pongala festival at the Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy temple at Neerettupuram, near Thiruvalla, will be celebrated on December 10.
Devaswom administrator Manikkuttan Namboodiri lighted the specially arranged ceremonial lamp kept on the temple premises with the fire from the Nilavara-deepom at the Pattamana Illom on Friday morning.
Temple chief priest Radhakrishnan Namboodiri handed over the flame from the Nilavara-deepam to the devaswom administrator for lighting the ceremonial lamp. Ayroor-Cherukolpuzha Hindumatha Maha Mandalam president P.S. Nair will formally inaugurate the Pongala festival at a ceremonial function to be held at 9 a.m. at the temple on Tuesday. Mr Radhakrishnan Namboodiri will inaugurate the ceremonial function and the Travancore Devaswom Board Commissioner, Harshan, will be the guest of honour. Mr Suresh said the Pongala festival would begin with the Ashtadravya Ganapati homom at 3.30 a.m.
The temple chief priest, Radhakrishnan Namboodiri, will light the main Pongala hearth prepared in front of the temple with the sacred fire brought from the sanctum sanctum sanctorum at 9 a.m. The devotees will offer Pongala payasom (rice kheer) on the temple premises and on either side of all major roads in nearly 50-km radius of the temple. The temple devaswom has already opened special Pongala coupon counters at Chakkulathukavu.
