For devotees, nothing can be more comforting than standing before the deity they believe in, closing eyes and praying their hearts out. For the followers of Hinduism, temples are sacred places where many rituals have to be followed and offerings are made. For the God’s Own Country too, many such rituals that devotees follow are very much a part of their life. The Chakkulathukavu Temple in Alappuzha is renowned for such a ritualistic event known as ‘Ponkala’. The annual event is held with great splendour and is attended by thousands of devotees from all over South India.
The Chakkulathukavu Temple is believed to be over 3000 years old. Goddess Durga is the presiding deity of the temple. Located on the baks of the holy river of Pampa, the temple is today one of the most popular pilgrimage centres in all of Kerala. The Chakkulathukavu Ponkala falls on the Malayalam month of Vrishikam, which is around November-December time. Millions of women gather in and around the temple premises to cook the ‘Nivedyam’ which is a sweet dish as an offering to the goddess. ‘Panthrandu Noyampu’ is another celebration in the temple, which includes fasting and prayers, seeking the blessings of the goddess.
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