Pongal Festival

What is Pongal

Pongal is the only festival of Hindu that follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on the 14 or 15 of January every year

Pongal is a harvest festival - the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. In an agriculture based civilization the harvest plays an important part.

The farmer cultivating his land depends on cattle, timely rain and the Sun. Once a year, he expresses his gratitude to these during the harvest festival.

With the end of the wet month of Margazhi (mid December to mid January) the new Tamil month of Thai heralds a series of festivals.

The first day of this month is a festival day known as "Pongal Day". Pongal means the "boiling over" of milk and rice during the month of Thai.

When is Pongal

The festival is celebrated for four days as

1st day - Bhogi Festival
2nd day - Pongal
3rd day - Maatu Pongal
4th day - Kaanum Pongal

Signifance of Pongal

On, the first day, Bhogi, the old clothes and materials are thrown away and fired, marking the beginning of a new life. The second day, the Pongal day, is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel - a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal. People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each other's homes, and exchange greetings. The third day, Mattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cows and buffaloes, as they are used to plough the lands. On the last day, Kanum Pongal, people go out to picnic.

Importance of Kannum Pongal

Kaanum Pongal' marks the end of the four-day celebrations. People generally go for sightseeing, shopping, Cinema, Beaches and exchanging pleasantries with relatives and friends.

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