The famous Bhagavathy Temple of Chakkulathukavu on the banks of River Pampa at Neerettupuram near Thiruvalla has been spruced up for the Karthika Pongala festival to be celebrated on Monday.
The sprawling temple ground has been dotted with make-shift hearths made of bricks with earthen pots atop for the devotees to prepare the sacred pongala (rice kheer) as their humble offering to the presiding deity.
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Devotees from different parts of the State as well as from Tamil Nadu have been camping in and around the temple complex since the past two days to take part in the annual festival.
Vendors selling earthen pots, rice and other articles required for the preparation of pongala have been doing brisk business at Neerettupuram, Podiyadi, Kavumbhagom, Thiruvalla and surrounding areas.
The celebrations will begin with the temple chief priest performing the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapati homom on Monday morning.
Chief priest will light the pongala hearth by transferring the fire brought from the sanctum sanctorum.
Devotees will prepare the pongala offering on the temple premises and on either side of various major roads in Thiruvalla, Kuttanad and Chengannur taluks.
The temple devaswom has opened information centres at Chakkulathukavu and various parts of Thiruvalla and Kuttanad taluks with a view to help devotees coming from far-off places.
