 |
| Awareness at Attukal |
Attukal Awareness
Billed
by Guinness World Records as the single largest gathering of women in the
world, a staggering four million devotees are to cook offerings as part of the
famous Attukal Pongala festival at
Trivandrum. Attukal Pongala is an
annual congregation of women to offer Pongala
- an offering of boiled rice in earthern pot - during the Malayalam month
of Kumbham (February-March). Attukal
Pongala has become a symbol of devotion and dedication to Devi, the Mother
goddess and above all a celebration of womanhood.
It
is a mega event with 10 days of continuous celebration culminating on the pongala day. There are lots of petty
shops selling variety of items at the site.
Such a gathering will always have its exploitative side. We can see
children being made use of as child labourers to sell different articles to the
devotees. There are many children trafficked and made to work as cheap labour.
As the place is a huge gathering of women, it is also a place for CHILDLINE to
conduct some awareness campaign.
This
year too we have erected a stall to conduct awareness raising campaign among
the devotee women on the issues facing children. Hundreds flock to the stall to
get to know the services rendered by CHILDLINE towards children in need of care
and protection. Any missing complaints regarding children who come to the
celebration are also taken up by CHILDLINE.
The pongala celebration is a time at Don
Bosco Veedu to impart awareness among the public on issues facing children. Strong
interventions to thwart exploitative conditions facing children are also carried
out during the time.
