Pongal
Pongal is a harvest festival equivalent to a thanksgiving event celebrated by Tamils across the world.Traditionally celebrated at harvest time, it is a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the rain, sun and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest.
The festival is celebrated for four days and the celebrations on the first day of the Tamil month Thai and continues for the three days. The month of Thai is supposed to be very auspicious for every kind of activity. The Sun is worshipped for his rays are responsible for the life on earth.
The spirit of Pongal, the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu, is celebrated on January 14th every year coinciding with Makar Sankranti in the North, Lohri in Punjab, Bhogali Bihu in Assam and Bhogi of Andhra Pradesh. Similar harvest festivals in the same time frame are also celebrated by farmers in Burma, Cambodia, and Korea.
It is the biggest harvest festival, spread over four days. `Bhogi' is celebrated on January 13, 'Pongal' on January 14, 'Mattu Pongal' on January 15, and 'Thiruvalluvar Day' on January 16.
People, houses, and cows all take on an air of freshness and radiance during Thamil New Year and Pongal. Thai Pongal day courtyards are cleaned, old wares are discarded and replaced with new things, homes colour-washed and decorated. On the morning of Pongal day the front garden is pre-prepared for the ceremonious cooking. 'Kolams' (Rangoli) generally drawn with rice flour are special to the occasion.
A senior member of the family will conduct the cooking and the rest of the family dutifully assists him or her or watches the event. The moment of climax is the spill over of the Pongal during cooking. The spillover of milk is a propitious symbol of abundance and good omen and shouts of “ Pongalo Pongal".
The other ingredients of this special dish are chakkarai (brown cane sugar) or katkandu (sugar candy), milk (cow's milk or coconut milk), roasted green gram (payaru), raisins, cashew nuts and few pods of cardamom. It is a joyous and happy occasion when the poor, the rich, the farmer, the villager all celebrate the harvest festival together irrespective of their individual faith.
By celebrating this festival the Thamils help to perpetuate our rich culture, traditions, literary opulence, sublime philosophy and socio-economic aspirations. Also to give an emotional link to our kith and kin at home who for the first time in two decades are celebrating Pongal in an atmosphere of relative peace.
