ALAPPUZHA: The famous Karthika Pongala festival at the Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy temple will start at 4 am on Sunday with the lighting of the lamp by chief karyadarshi Radhakrishnan Nampoothiri. After various rituals, he will light the pongala hearth. Temple trustee Dharmachindamani Kumar will light a traditional lamp as part of its official inauguration. Gopinatha Pillai and Singapore Malayali Samajam president Ajaykumar Nair will speak. Kodikunnil Suresh MP will inaugurate a cultural meet in the evening, presided over by Thomas Chandy MLA.
UN expert committee chairman C. V. Ananda Bose will light the karthika deepasthambam. The pongala hearths will be arrayed in roads leading to Thakazhi, Thiruvalla, Kozhencherry, Chengan- nur, Pandalam, Kidangara, Podiyadi, Mannar, Mavelikara and Haripad. There are some 3000 volunteers running information centres and manning parking spaces.
KSRTC has set up a temporary bus stand at Thalavadi PHC ground and started services from Alappuzha, Thiruvalla, Chengannur, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta and nearby places. Seva Bharathi and other trusts will offer free food for the devotees, the temple authorities said. Traffic police restricted roads from Edathua to Podiyadi. Fire and Rescue has a temporary station near the temple.
