In a show of communal harmony and brotherhood, the Manakkad Juma Masjid in Thiruvananthapuram opened its doors and provided facilities to the thousands of women who arrived in the state capital for the 'Attukal Pongala' on Thursday.
A mosque representative said the entire parking area was opened for those arriving in their vehicles and accommodations were arranged inside the mosque for the drivers.
"Besides that, separate toilets for women and drinking water facilities were also made available for the devotees. One of the rooms was also converted for use by the police personnel who would be on duty during the festival," the representative told a TV channel.
He also said that the mosque provides the facilities every year, which was attested to by the women devotees present there.
He expressed regret that they could not provide food to the 'pongala' devotees in the morning due to the ongoing fasting during the Ramadan period.
"We provided food yesterday evening when we broke the fast for the day," he added.
The St Joseph's Metropolitan Cathedral in the capital too provided water, rest and toilet facilities to the women devotees who arrived for the 'pongala'.
It had done so last year as well. Besides them, the parishioners of St Theresa of Lisieux Catholic Church at Vellayambalam here provided buttermilk to the 'pongala' devotees, a church official said.
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