Chakkulathukavu Pongala is a famous annual Hindu festival celebrated in the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the largest gatherings of women for a religious event in the world. The festival takes place at the Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy Temple, which is dedicated to the goddess Bhagavathy, situated near Thiruvalla in Neerattupuram, Alappuzha. The festival takes place in the Malayalam month of Vrischikam (usually in November or December) and coincides with the star “Karthika.”
The ritual comprises preparing ‘prasad’ for the Devi – women cook rice and jaggery in earthen pots and they offer it to the goddess. Bhagavathi or Devi is a divine incarnation of Shakti. Chakkulathukavu Pongala is based on a legend in which the Goddess herself prepared food for a hunter and his family. The hunter and his family always set apart a part of their food as an offering to their goddess. One day they were very late to return home after collecting wood in the jungle. They felt extremely sad that they could not submit the daily part of their food to the Devi.
Soon they prayed for forgiveness and rushed to cook food. But they found to their utter surprise that all the earthen pots in the home were filled with cooked food. They knew for certain that it was the Goddess Herself who cooked the food for them. The head priest of the Chakkulathukavu temple lights the main hearth from a lamp inside the sanctum sanctorum. This fire is exchanged from one over to another. Other important festivals celebrated in the temple are Panthrandu Noyampu (fasting festival) – fasting starts every year from the first day of the Malayalam month of Dhanu (Mid October) and continues till the twelfth.
The temple is also famous for a religious ritual called Naree Pooja. This festival is not only a religious event but also a cultural spectacle that showcases the rich heritage and traditions of Kerala. It’s a unique celebration of faith and community participation where women come together to cook and offer Pongala to seek the blessings of the goddess.