Attukal Pongala to go green this year too

Thiruvananthapuram: As part of a Malinya Muktham Navakeralam initiative, this year's Attukal Pongala festival will again be observed as ‘Haritha Pongala' (green Pongala) under the guidance of the Kerala Suchitwa Mission. The festival is scheduled on March 13 this year.The Suchitwa Mission has also issued guidelines for ensuring an eco-friendly celebration. Devotees bringing rice, jaggery, coconuts and other offerings for Pongala should avoid plastic packaging and instead use cloth bags. Firewood, coconut fronds, and dried leaves should be brought only in the required quantities.The area used for preparing the offering must be kept clean. Both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste should be segregated and disposed of in designated bins. Devotees are encouraged to carry steel glass and plate for personal use. Residents associations, clubs, organisations and individuals distributing food and drinking water must strictly follow green protocols. The guidelines also stated that only steel or ceramic utensils should be used for food distribution. District collector Anu Kumari has directed that the guidelines be strictly followed during the festival.A campaign with the theme ‘green pongala, safe pongala' will be conducted by the green army volunteers of the corporation and resource persons of Suchitwa Mission, along with the support of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple Trust trust. The central thrust of the campaign is to avoid single-use plastics and other kinds of disposables, including paper products, during the festival.