<span style="color: #222222;">In Kerala, amid the  Covid-19 pandemic the devotees will take part in the Attukal pongala from their homes today. Pongala is the annual ritual of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram and holds the Guinness world record as the largest gathering of women. Every year nearly 20  lakh devotees take part in the festival.<br />'' <br />'' However, this time the authorities have decided to scale down the festival rituals by confining the ritual to the temple premises.<br />'' <br />'' The devotees have been asked to offer the ritual at their homes to avoid crowding. Pongala offerings at public places have been banned.</span><br />'' <br />''  <br />