Thiruvananthapuram: There will be restrictions on vehicles towards the heart of the city during the exodus after Pongala that will end by 2.30pm. The city police has recommended to devotees from outside the city limits to offer Pongala beside the road leading to their areas. For instance, people coming from Nagercoil and Neyyatinkara side are expected to set up their hearths near Karamana. Those coming from Attingal are expected to occupy the streets to the temple between Karikkakom and Ambalathara on NH bypass.
Similarly those coming from beyond Thiruvallam are expected to set up on Ambalathara-Manacaud road. Those coming from Nedumangaud are expected to set up on the Kaudiar- Vazhuthacaud stretch. Vehicles returning to Kollam are expected to use the wider coastal road instead to avoid jams on NH bypass. People are expected to offer Pongala only on one side of the single lane road to allow ambulances to pass.
State Police Chief Loknath Behera interacts with lady commandos at Attukal temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. (Photo: SABARI NATH. R)
“Last Pongala our ambulance took 20 minutes to take a patient from a hospital at Enchakkal to another at Killipalam. There were road blockades near Thakaraparambu and Choorakkattu palayam. Only one of the four lanes was left vacant. If a water tanker truck enters a road, there is no space for emergency vehicles like fire engines to move around,” explained an ambulance driver. All vehicles carrying passengers should display the name and number of drivers and are expected to park only at designated spaces.
A lesson in religious harmony
Attukal Pongala can easily be a lesson in religious harmony, according to prominent leaders from Muslim and Christian faiths. During previous years, religious institutions have offered support to the festival. Various mosques in the city will provide drinking water to women devotees this year as well. Manacaud Muslim Jama’ath Valiyapally General Secretary Alen Nazeer says, “The beliefs may be different. However, a large congregation of people take part in this festival. So we will offer all support to it, like last year. Then, we had offered our space for police recovery vans. Women could use the facilities on our premises. We have also arranged for drinking water.” A diverse alliance of religious and secular leaders, Santhi Samithi, had offered Sambharam last year.
Latin Catholic Archdiocese Eugene Pereira says “Solidarity is shown to the women who come to make their offering. Normally, men dominate festival scenes everywhere, but this festival gives importance to women,” he says. He adds, "Today, this sort of solidarity is growing. We see it in the Vettucaud ‘Feast of Christ the King’ and Arthunkal ‘Feast of St Sebastian’.” At Attukal, there are many non-Hindus who offer Pongala. The one referred to as ‘Pongala lady’, Dianne Jenett, is one of them. Dr Mohammed Yoosuf, who lives at Manacaud, says that a Christian friend of his came from Kottayam last year to offer Pongala. “I know many other non-Hindus who offer Pongala because their friends do. This time my friends and I will be conducting a medical camp,” he says.
Green protocol gets bigger, but stricter
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has promised to implement the Green Protocol stricter than last year. Green volunteers were on the field on Friday itself, unlike last year, when they started working only on Pongala day. “This time we have around 350 volunteers. Close to 250 volunteers were on duty on Friday. They talked about the Green Protocol to devotees who had arrived early,” says Anoop Roy, Health Inspector, Project Secretariat, Corporation. The Corporation had sought the help of temple authorities in propagating the idea. “The festival programme schedule carries the messages of Green Protocol.
The message is also announced through loudspeakers and vehicles. The trust has kept aside '27 lakh for publicity alone,” says K Sisupalan Nair, Secretary, Attukal temple executive committee. For the first time, celebrities, including actor Mohanlal and magician Muthucaud have endorsed Green Protocol free of cost. Last year, the Corporation implemented the Green Protocol while Suchitwa Mission took the initiative to introduce it. The idea of getting Pongala devotees to contribute steel plates and cups was mooted by the Mission. However, this time, the initiative is that of the Corporation. The civic body will use steel cups and plates donated last year. The green volunteers will be present in all 31 wards, unlike last year. Apart from 12 teams of green volunteers, more than 1,500 cleaning personnel will be deployed during Pongala day.
