Pongal Celebrations
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The festival of Pongal is held dear particularly by the farming community as it marks the end of harvesting season. The markets start receiving stacks of sugarcanes, turmeric saplings and a horde of farm produces. The run-up to Pongal is
as exciting as celebrating the occasion that is believed to ring in prosperity.
Pongal In Other States Of India Since India is mainly a land of agrarian society, there are many harvest festivals celebrated here. Sometimes, the festival of different regions even coincide with each other and are celebrated under different names with different
rituals in different parts of India. Pongal is one of highly revered harvest festival of Tamil Nadu celebrated on 14th of January every year. There are many similar festivals celebrated on this day under different names in other states of India but they all
have bonfires and feasts in common and are basically, harvest festivals. Some of the popular ones are Lohri of Punjab and Bhogali Bihu of Assam. Makar Sankranti is yet another harvest festival coinciding with Pongal and celebrated with special zeal in Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar. People of Andhra Pradesh celebrate Bhogi on this day displaying their collection of dolls on this day.
Pongal is also celebrated as a thanksgiving festival for various Hindu deities. The festivities begin with `Bhogi' and the first day is considered to be a prelude to the celebrations that follow. `Bhogi' is observed as a thanksgiving occasion to Lord `Indra',
the God of Heavens. The next day is the `Pongal' day, which is celebrated to pay respects to `Surya', the Sun God. It is the day of a new beginning and makes people go for joyful celebrations. As a mark of respect to the cattle, the farmer's best friends,
the third day of Pongal festival is celebrated as `Maattu Pongal'. `Kaanum Pongal' marks the end of the four-day celebrations.
All the four days of Pongal have there own individual significance. On the first day, delicious preparations are made and homes are washed and decorated. Doorways are painted with vermilion and sandalwood paste with colourful garlands of leaves and flowers
decorating the outside of almost every home. On this day 'Bhogi' or the Rain God is worshipped.
The Tempting Recipes :
Sweet rice, known as "Pongal", is cooked in a new earthenware pot at the same place where puja is to be performed. Fresh turmeric and ginger are tied around this pot. Then a delicious concoction of rice, Moong Dal, jaggery and milk are boiled in the pot on
an open fire. This Pongal, according to ritual, is allowed to boil and spill out of the pot. Pongal, once ready, is offered to God first, on a new banana leaf along with other traditional delicacies like Vadas, Payasam, etc. Besides this, sugarcane, grain,
sweet potatoes, etc are also offered to the Sun God.
Pongal Processions :
A procession is taken out from the Kandaswamy (also spelt as Kandaswami) Temple in Chennai. In Madurai, Tanjore and Tiruchirrapalli, where Pongal is known as Jellikattu, bundles of money are tied to the horns of bulls, and villagers try and wrest the bundles
from them. Community meals are made from the freshly gathered harvest and enjoyed by the entire village.