Attukal Temple
Encyclopedia
The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple (Malayalam: ) is a shrine in Kerala
, India
. The temple
is renowned for the annual Attukal Pongala festival, in which over a million women participate. Attukal Temple is situated just 2 kilometer for Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram
.
(Parvathi) is the main deity
in this temple.
Kannagi was married to Kovalan, son of a wealthy merchant. But Kovalan met a dancer and spent all his riches on her forgetting his wife. But after he was penniless, he went back to Kannagi. The only precious thing left to be sold was Kannagi's pair of anklets. They went with it to the king of Madurai
to sell it. But an anklet was stolen from the Queen which looked similar to Kannagi's. When he tried to sell it, he was mistaken for the thief and beheaded by the king's soldiers.
Kannagi got infuriated when she heard the news and rushed to the King with the second pair of anklet. She broke one of the anklets and it contained rubies while the Queen's contained pearls. She cursed the city of Madurai and due to her chastity it came true. She attained salvation after the Goddess of the city appeared before her.
On her way to Kodungalloor, Kannagi passed Attukal. She took the form of a little girl. An old man was sitting on the banks of a stream, when the girl went to him and asked him whether he could help her cross it. Surprised to find the young girl alone, he took her home. But she disappeared. She came back in his sleep and asked him to build a temple where he found 3 golden lines in his grove. He did the same. This is at the location of the present Attukal temple.
Attukal Pongala is the main festival
of this temple. Millions of women gather every year in the month of Kumbham
around this temple and prepare Pongala (rice
cooked with jaggery
, ghee
, coconut
as well as other ingredients) in the open in small pots to please the Goddess Kannaki. During the festival nearly five kilometres around the temple become covered with smoke from the 'aduppu's (temporary hearths made of 3 to 9 bricks). A holiday is declared in the city on that day. Tourists from other countries also participate in the festival.
The festival has gained international attention since it was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "largest annual gathering of women" in the world. The record was based on the number of pilgrim
s on 23 February 1997, when 1.5 million assembled to offer pongala to Attukal Devi. It is estimated that 3 million women attended the 2010 edition of the festival.
Actor Mohan lal got married in this temple.
Row over Trademarking Attukal deity ---- Attukal Bhagawathy Temple obtained trademark protection for the picture of the deity and the sobriquet
‘Sabarimala of Women’ from Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks
in the beginning of the year 2009. However Kerala High Court
registered a suo motu case against trademarking the deity picture and the title 'Sabarimala of Women' based on a fax from R S Praveen Raj
, a Scientist from Thiruvananthapuram. The High court issued notice to the Controller General and the Temple trust taking serious note of the fact that a trademark on deity picture prejudiced the religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
is renowned for the annual Attukal Pongala festival, in which over a million women participate. Attukal Temple is situated just 2 kilometer for Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
.
History
The Goddess KannakiKannagi
Kannagi or , a legendary Tamil woman, is the central character of the South Indian epic Silapathikaram. Legend states that Kannagi took revenge on the King of Madurai, for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband Kovalan, by cursing the city with disaster.-The story:Kovalan, the son of a...
(Parvathi) is the main deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
in this temple.
Kannagi was married to Kovalan, son of a wealthy merchant. But Kovalan met a dancer and spent all his riches on her forgetting his wife. But after he was penniless, he went back to Kannagi. The only precious thing left to be sold was Kannagi's pair of anklets. They went with it to the king of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
to sell it. But an anklet was stolen from the Queen which looked similar to Kannagi's. When he tried to sell it, he was mistaken for the thief and beheaded by the king's soldiers.
Kannagi got infuriated when she heard the news and rushed to the King with the second pair of anklet. She broke one of the anklets and it contained rubies while the Queen's contained pearls. She cursed the city of Madurai and due to her chastity it came true. She attained salvation after the Goddess of the city appeared before her.
On her way to Kodungalloor, Kannagi passed Attukal. She took the form of a little girl. An old man was sitting on the banks of a stream, when the girl went to him and asked him whether he could help her cross it. Surprised to find the young girl alone, he took her home. But she disappeared. She came back in his sleep and asked him to build a temple where he found 3 golden lines in his grove. He did the same. This is at the location of the present Attukal temple.
Pongala Festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
of this temple. Millions of women gather every year in the month of Kumbham
Malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
around this temple and prepare Pongala (rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
cooked with jaggery
Jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is a concentrated product of cane juice without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color...
, ghee
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
as well as other ingredients) in the open in small pots to please the Goddess Kannaki. During the festival nearly five kilometres around the temple become covered with smoke from the 'aduppu's (temporary hearths made of 3 to 9 bricks). A holiday is declared in the city on that day. Tourists from other countries also participate in the festival.
The festival has gained international attention since it was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "largest annual gathering of women" in the world. The record was based on the number of pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s on 23 February 1997, when 1.5 million assembled to offer pongala to Attukal Devi. It is estimated that 3 million women attended the 2010 edition of the festival.
Actor Mohan lal got married in this temple.
Row over Trademarking Attukal deity ---- Attukal Bhagawathy Temple obtained trademark protection for the picture of the deity and the sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
‘Sabarimala of Women’ from Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks
Indian Patent Office
The Indian Patent Office is administered by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks . This is a subordinate office of the Indian government and administers the Indian law of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks....
in the beginning of the year 2009. However Kerala High Court
Kerala High Court
High Court of Kerala is the highest court in the Indian state of Kerala and in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. The High Court of Kerala is headquartered at Kochi...
registered a suo motu case against trademarking the deity picture and the title 'Sabarimala of Women' based on a fax from R S Praveen Raj
R S Praveen Raj
R S Praveen Raj is an Indian social activist and intellectual property rights expert. Born on 31 March 1979, he started his career as an electrical and electronics engineer...
, a Scientist from Thiruvananthapuram. The High court issued notice to the Controller General and the Temple trust taking serious note of the fact that a trademark on deity picture prejudiced the religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.
Other Festivals
The other festivals in this temple are:- Mandala Vratham - Festival in connection with the annual Utsavam of Sabarimala
- Vinayaka Chathurthi - Pooja to the Lord Ganapathy
- Pooja Vaypu - Identical to Dussera festival (Saraswathy Pooja and Vidyarambham)
- Sivarathri - SivaShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
Pooja - Karthika - Karthika Deepa
- Ayilya Pooja - Milk, flowers etc. offered to serpent God and special rites
- Aiswarya Pooia - On all full moon (Pournami) days
- Nirayum Puthariyum (Ramayana Parayanam) - During the month of KarkadakamMalayalam calendarMalayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
- Akhandanama Japam - 4th Sunday of every month
External links
- http://www.attukal.org/ - Website of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple.
- Attukal Devi Temple Festival Details – Attukal Devi Temple Festival Details