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Attukal Pongala Draws Lakhs to Thiruvananthapuram, Concludes Largely Incident-Free

Extensive, well-coordinated planning kept the massive women-led ritual largely incident-free.

Overview

  • The 10-day festival culminated on Tuesday as the main hearth was lit around 9:45 a.m. and priests sanctified offerings in the afternoon across a multi‑kilometre radius.
  • Around 5,000 police officers managed crowd safety using drones, CCTV and watch towers, as fire services logged roughly 40 calls and reported one devotee with 12% burns.
  • Kerala’s Health Department positioned medical teams and ambulances at 10 key points, activated control rooms and 108 services, and readied hospitals for heat and burn cases.
  • Southern Railway used temporary holding areas, added counters, medical aid posts, special trains and extra stops, while KSRTC operated special services under citywide traffic curbs.
  • Churches, mosques and residents provided water, rest spaces and food to devotees, even as unseasonal water‑logging near the temple forced many to shift their hearth locations.