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| Time
of the year |
: |
January |
| Venue |
: |
Tamil
Nadu |
| Duration |
: |
3
days |
|
| |
Pongal
is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu which
is observed for three days in January. Bhogi
Pongal, Surya Pongal and Mattu Pongal, are
the three days of Pongal festivities on successive
days. People extend their tribute to the Sun,
Nature and the Cattle wealth for helping them
with a rich harvest and Prosperity. Sugarcane,
turmeric, sheaves of paddy, newly prepared
jaggery, vegetables and pulses are offered
to the Sun god. The earth and the cow are
also worshiped and offerings were made. Two
varieties of Pongal- the salty one known as
'ven pongal' and the sweet one known as 'Sarkkarai
pongal' are prepared on the second day. The
festival ends with 'Kanum Pongal' on the third
day when children enjoy watching the celebrations.
Pongal is a colourful and traditional festival
with many a ceremony devoted to various deities.
Pongal is an important festival in India,
and we pray to the Sun God on this occasion.
In North India, it is known as Sankaranthi.
Orrisa witnesses the inflow of about 7 to
10 lakhs of pilgrims during this Car Festival.
Foreigners also enthusiastically participate
in the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra. |
| The
sun is very powerful and helps in the growth
of the paddy and other plantations. So this
festival is very important for farmers and
so it is celebrated in a grand manner in villages.
The house is cleaned, and all maintenance
jobs are done before this festival. During
the four-day festival, different varieties
of Rangoli are drawn in front of the houses
early in the morning. |
| According
to Hindu mythology, this is when the day of
the gods begins, after a six-month long night.
The festival is spread over three days and
is the most important and most fervently celebrated
harvest festival of South India. A special
puja is performed on the first day of Pongal
before the cutting of the paddy. Farmers worship
the sun and the earth by anointing their ploughs
and sickles with sandalwood paste. It is with
these consecrated tools that the newly harvested
rice is cut. The first day is called Pongal
Podigai or Bhogi Pongal and is a day of family
feasting and enjoyment. Since the festival
celebrates the harvest of the paddy crop,
the newly harvested rice is first cooked on
this day. The rice grains, along with sesame
seeds, jaggery, chickpeas, groundnuts and
dried coconut, are put into an earthen pot
filled with milk. This is boiled until some
of the milk spills over, and the preparation
is called 'Pongal'. It is generally cooked
at an auspicious hour, recommended by the
priest, in the courtyard of the house. A portion
of the cooked rice is offered to Ganesha,
and the family, neighbors and friends share
the rest as consecrated food. As people greet
each other, they ask paal pongita or 'has
the milk boiled over?'. Another ritual observed
on this day is called Bhogi Mantalu, when
useless household articles are thrown into
a fire made of wood and cow dung cakes. Girls
dance around the bonfire, singing songs in
praise of the gods, the spring and the harvest. |
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