The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is a place of worship of Hindus located at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the state of Kerala, in southern India. The most renowned festival of this temple is the yearly celebrated Attukal Pongala, with a participation count of over a million women.

It is believed that the temple is in praise of the Goddess Kannaki. The story goes that she was married to Kovalan, who was a spend-thrift. After spending all the money inherited by him, he repented his ways. To start up a new life, Kannaki offered him her pair of precious anklets. But the queen of the city had lost a similar pair of anklets and mistaking Kovalan for a thief, the king beheaded him. A furious Kannaki cursed the king and his country, and the curse set the whole city ablaze.

The chastity of Kannaki is worshiped in the temple and it is believed that women who pray here get a long and happy married life.

During the festival of Attukal Pongala, millions of women assemble around the temple premises and cook rice mixed with jaggery, butter and scraped coconut in small clay pots. It is said that up to five kilo meters around the temple fills up with the smoke from the temporary hearths made by each woman. This festival has even found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's "largest annual gathering of women". In 2010, it is claimed that about 3 million women gathered for the festival.