Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 2 (ANI): Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday said the Attukal Pongala festival is a defining symbol of Kerala's rich cultural and spiritual heritage, expressing pride in participating in the annual celebration.

Speaking to ANI during the Attukal Pongala festival, Chandrasekhar described Attukal Pongala as a unique expression of faith and tradition, where thousands of women gather to offer Pongala to Attukal Bhagavathy.

'There are many things that define our great state of Keralam. There are many things very core to the culture and heritage of Thiruvananthapuram, and Attukal Pongala -- this celebration of faith, celebration of Attukal Bhagwati by women in such large numbers -- is a huge event that makes me proud personally and makes every Malayali proud,' he said.

He added that the festival reflects how deeply integrated faith and culture are in Kerala's history despite centuries of change.

'It reminds us how deeply integrated our faith and culture is, despite so many hundreds and thousands of years of history of our state,' Chandrasekhar said.

The BJP leader said this was his third opportunity to participate in the festival and expressed happiness at being part of the celebrations.

'This is my third opportunity to participate. Of course, I'm very happy,' he said.

He also mentioned that his wife could not attend this year due to ongoing developments in the Middle East.

'This time, my wife could not be here, unfortunately stuck with childrens in the Middle East because of the developments there. But I'm here with my karyakartas,' he added.

Following the US-Israel strikes against Iran on February 28, Iran launched a wave of retaliatory attacks, using drones and missiles targeting multiple Arab countries in the region as a retaliatory action, which resulted in flight disruptions and cancellations across the globe.

The Attukal Pongala festival, held annually at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, is one of the largest congregations of women for a religious event in the world. (ANI)