Things to do in Attukal & Karamana

Attukal, two kilometres south of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, is home to the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple and, for one morning each year, to the largest gathering of women anywhere: the Attukal Pongala, when devotees cook an offering of rice and jaggery on brick hearths that spread across the whole city. The ten-day festival in the Malayalam month of Kumbham also brings nightly stage programmes on the temple grounds. Across the Killi river, Karamana's Tamil Brahmin streets keep Navaratri doll displays, Deepavali and classical music sabhas alive. The lanes are narrow, so reach the temple by city bus or auto from East Fort.