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Attukal Pongala in Thiruvananthapuram today: Everything you need to know

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3 weeks ago

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Attukal Pongala

Attukal Pongala, popularly called Women’s Sabarimala is being held today after a long gap of 2 years. The devotees performed Attukal Pongala from their homes for the past 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the reduction in COVID-19 cases, the Government of Kerala has decided to allow Attukal Pongala in full glory. The temple authorities started preparations three months back and devotees have started to arrive two days before the Pongala. There was a long rush of devotees to seek the blessings of Attukal Devi. Interestingly, Attutak Pongala falls one day before International Women’s Day on March 8.

Preparations

On Tuesday, the Attukal Pongala will see participation from thousands of women devotees representing various backgrounds. The city is already bustling with the arrival of pilgrims, travelers, and tourists, who have come to witness the grandeur of the festival.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival is expected to draw an enormous crowd. Officials anticipate a 40% increase in the number of attendees. Last year, the Pongala festival was observed in a subdued fashion, confined to households. However, this year, the city streets are teeming with devotees. One can already spot bricks lining the footpaths of major roads leading to the temple, in preparation for the hearths to be set up.

Attukal Pongala Timings

The Attukal Pongala offering ceremony will commence at 10:30 am, with the temple’s head priest igniting the stove using fire from the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. The sanctification of the Pongala offerings with holy water (Nnivedyam) is scheduled for 2:30 pm. The ten-day festival will conclude on March 15. Even if you are not located in Thiruvananthapuram, you can perform Pongala from your home. You just need to follow the timings.

Attukal Devi

Food Safety Measures

A total of 725 organizations have received registration to conduct ‘Annadanam’ on the day of Pongala. In order to ensure food safety during the festival, five special squads have been deployed by the food safety authorities.

An official from the Food Safety department stated that they have instructed the ‘Annadanam’ organizers to avoid storing food for extended periods and to prepare it fresh for the devotees. They have also issued a strict warning to use only water supplied by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA). The official added that they are regularly collecting samples of raw materials and water to ensure the safety of the food being served.

The Food Safety official further stated that the sale of food items without proper labels has been banned, and an advisory has been issued to the devotees to avoid consuming such food items. Food safety helplines have been set up, and the numbers are as follows: 8943346181, 8943346582, 1800 425 1125, and 8943346526. The public is encouraged to reach out to these helplines if they have any concerns regarding food safety during the festival.

Apart from ensuring food safety, the Health Department has also made extensive arrangements to provide medical aid to the devotees. An official stated that approximately 30 ambulances would be stationed at various locations across the city to offer medical assistance to the devotees. “The district medical office has arranged for ten ambulances, and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and private hospitals have agreed to provide an additional 20 ambulances on the day of Pongala,” the official added. This measure aims to ensure that medical aid is readily available to anyone who requires it during the festival.

Transportation Services

To facilitate the transportation of women devotees participating in the Pongala festival, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation will operate special services from 11 key points in the city on Tuesday. This initiative aims to provide a smooth and hassle-free commute for the devotees.

In addition, the Indian Railways has also arranged for special services to ensure convenient transportation during the festival. A special train from Nagercoil Junction-Thiruvananthapuram Central has been scheduled to depart at 3:30 am and arrive at the capital at 5:30 am. This train will halt at various stations, including Nagercoil Town, Virani Alur, Eraniel, Palliyadi, Kuzithurai, Kuzithurai West, Parassala, Dhanuvachapuram, Amaravila, Neyyatinkara, Balaramapuram, and Nemom.

Two more trains, the Ananthapuri Daily Express (16824) originating from Kollam and the Kanyakumari-Punalur daily, will also be available to augment transportation services during the festival. These trains will stop at all stations along the way.

Cleaning after Attukal Pongala

After the Attukal Pongala festival, around 2,200 sanitation workers will be deployed for the post-festival cleanup in Thiruvananthapuram. These workers will work towards ensuring that the entire city is cleaned up within a few hours following the event. This initiative aims to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the city while also ensuring a safe and healthy environment for its residents.

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Entertainment

Malayalam Actor Innocent in critical condition under ECMO

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2 days ago

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March 25, 2023

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Innocent

Actor-turned-politician Innocent is in critical condition and under ECMO support. The latest medical bulletin issued by Lakeshore Hospital, Kochi reveals that the actor’s health condition is very critical. He was admitted to the hospital two weeks back due to acute breathing issues after he suffered a fall in his house. Kerala Government has appointed a special team to monitor the health condition of the actor in addition to the hospital team.

Innocent was diagnosed with Cancer few years back but recovered. He also published a book detailing his experiences with the deadly disease. He started to act again after recovering in 2020. However, his health took a toll after he suffered from COVID-19 thrice. He used to roam around all places and interact with people. He was close towards not only film personalities but also general public.

Innocent served as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) for over 15 years before handing it over to Mohanlal. He started his career as a producer but excelled in acting via his intuitive comedy and classic Thrissur slang. The Sandesham actor has completed four decades of acting with over 500 films. He maintained a very close association with Mohanlal and has been part of nearly all his movies.

Innocent contested from the Chalakudy constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and won with a huge margin. He has beaten the then Congress leader and strongman PC Chacko. However, he lost to Benny Behanan in the 2019 elections from the same constituency. Innocent was very aggressive towards legendary actor Thilakan and it was during his tenure he was ousted from Amma. Thilakan also accused Innocent and termed the association as Mafia. Innocent also acted as a villain in few movies including Mohanlal starrer Naduvazhikal.

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Naatu Naatu Triumphs at the Oscars 2023 #RRR

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2 weeks ago

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March 13, 2023

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Naatu Naatu

The viral Naatu Naatu song from SS Rajamouli’s RRR has finally won the coveted Oscars 2023 award under the Best Song category. Music Director MM Keeravaani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award amidst huge applause. The Naatu Naatu song is the first song from an Indian film to win Oscars in the Best Song category.

The live performance at Dolby theatre was greeted with a standing ovation. Rahul Sipligunj and Kalaa Bairavaa performed the song live on stage as it’s the custom in all Oscar award functions. The dancers took the stage on the wildfire and towards the end the audience was elated and all of them gave a big standing ovation. Among all the dancers, Lauren Gottlieb was noticed by the audience since he resembled the original Ram Charan.

Naatu Naatu from SS Rajamouli’s RRR had to face a tough competition from Applause (Tell It Like a Woman), Hold My Hand (Top Gun Maverick), Lift Me Up (Black Pather Wakanda Forever), and This is a Life (Everything Everywhere All at Once). MM Keeravaani accepted the Oscars 2023 award with a Namaste and concluded with “Love you all” message. Even though Keeravani had announced retirement in 2014, it was his cousin Rajamouli who took initiative to bring him back. Keeravani composed music for Bahubali 1 and 2, which were accepted by people. Keeravani also promoted his son Kaala Bharriava to the film industry. Kaala rendered Naatu Naatu song along with Rahul. He also performed live at Dolby Studio.

The award function was a gala moment because Naatu Naatu is the second song to win Academy Award after AR Rahman’s Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire in 2009 under the same category. The song created a huge vibe across India with over 126,124,624 views on YouTube, which is the highest among all films.

In addition to Oscars 2023, RRR also won several US awards including Golden Globes, and Critics Choice among others. We expect the film to win Indian national film awards as and when they are due for the announcement.

Keeravani rose to fame during the early 90s as assistant to Music Director Rajamani. He had composed over 250+ songs in Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil. His Malayalam hits include Sooryamanasam, Devaragam, and much more. His simple lifestyle and respect have earned him the award. Enjoy Naatu Naatu song

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Entertainment

Actor Bala admitted to a private Hospital in Kochi

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3 weeks ago

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March 7, 2023

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In a sudden development, Actor Bala has been admitted to Amrita Hospital in Kochi, Kerala. Bala has not been doing well these days and the Pulimurgan actor has been reportedly suffering from a liver-related illness. According to reports, Bala visited the hospital one week back for the same problem.

Bala is currently under observation in ICU and is reportedly said to be stable. While Bala’s mother and wife are present in the hospital, his brother Shiva is slated to arrive in Kochi today. The Annathe actor is suffering from a severe cough and abdominal pain following which he faced physical discomfort.

According to Snehasallapam, Unni Mukundan, Badusha, Vishnu Mohan, Vipin and Swaraj (Lulu Media Head) visited him in the hospital and had a small chat with the actor. He is recovering and will be discharged soon. Bala’s Ex-wife Singer Amrutha Suresh along with her family visited the hospital to enquire about the illness. His kid was also seen in the video surfaced on Facebook.

Producer Badhusha urged people not to spread rumors because the actor is extremely fine after treatment.

Bala has been wearing sunglasses ever since he suffered from an eye injury during a film shoot. He had shared a video with actress Molly Kannamally because he helped her to tackle the illness.

Bala shared space with Shefeekkinte Santhosham along with Unni Mukundan which was directed by Anup Pandalam. Bala had a spat with Unni regarding remuneration and he attacked the Mallikapuram actor for not paying his charges for acting in the film. However, Unni showed proof of payment before the media because the film was produced under his banner.

The matter seems to have settled now. Bala played a key role in the movie as Ameer. The upcoming films of Bala include Bilal, Sthalam, and My Dear Machans. Bala is also well known for his friendship with controversial businessman Monson Mavungal.

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