Pongal : A South Indian Festival

Pongal

Pongal is a South Indian festival, which is related to the harvesting of crops. It is mainly a traditional festival of Tamil Nadu, but it is celebrated all over South India. It is also known as 'Thai Pongal'. Thai is a Tamil word, which is related to the names of Tamil months. The word Thai in Tamil language is related to the month of January. In the month of January, the people and farmers of the state harvest the crops grown on their land and a meal called Pongal is cooked to thank the sun and cattle for helping them in farming. That is why it was named Pongal. According to a famous proverb in Tamil language, it is said, 'As soon as the month of Thai starts, all good things will start happening and every problem will be solved in a good way.' It is similar to Lohri and Makar Sankranti celebrated in North India. |

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Pongal: Different Phases of the Festival

Pongal is a four day festival. In this, different activities related to the festival are done every day and all these days have been given different names, whose brief details are as follows –

• Day 1: Bhogi Pongal – On this day people burn their old clothes or can say yes, on this day people throw out old things and bring new ones home.
• Day 2: Surya Pongal – On this day new rice is offered to the Sun God by boiling or cooking it. This is an act of worshiping the Sun God, through which gratitude is expressed to him. Along with this, it is wished to Lord Surya that his upcoming crops will also be good.
• Day 3: Perum Pongal or Mattu Pongal – On this day people take rice from harvested paddy and boil it in cow's milk. During the boiling of rice, people chant 'Pongalo Pongal' loudly. On this day there is a practice of worshiping Lord Shankar's beloved Nandi.
• Day 4: Kannam Pongal - On this day people organize and participate in the famous Jallikattu game / bull-taming game. Along with this, people also cook and eat non-vegetarian food at their homes on this day. Goddesses are worshiped on this day, in which Maa Kali and Maa Lakshmi are prominent.

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Pongal Dish

Pongal means to boil, although its second meaning is New Year. On the day of Pongal, a special food called Pongal is cooked and it is dedicated to Lord Surya, cattle and deities. It is considered auspicious to make a dish called Pongal in new utensils. It is cooked by adding things like new rice, jaggery, cashew etc. in cow's milk. Following are some of the traditional dishes made on this day –

1. Sakkarai Pongal: Sakkarai Pongal is one of the popular dishes prepared on this occasion. These are very tasty and nutrition-rich dishes. It is cooked by mixing rice, jaggery and moong dal.
2. Payasam: This is a pudding recipe, which is cooked with milk, rice and jaggery. Dry fruits can also be added to enhance its taste.
3. Sugarcane Pongal: This is also a sweet dish, which is offered to Lord Surya.
4. Ven Pongal: This is a morning breakfast or breakfast dish. It is rich in South Indian spices and flavours. To make it tasty, dry fruits are also added to it.
5. Medu Vada: It is made from a mixture of different types of pulses and is served with sambhar and chutney. It can be taken as an evening snack in the evening.
6. Tamarind Rice: This is a main dish of the festival, which is dark in color. Tamarind puree and rice are used to make it. This recipe tastes great with plain curd.

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Clothing

On this day all the family members gather at home. Each member of the family wears a new cloth. Every member of the family provides financial and personal support in celebrating this festival.

Home Decoration

On this day the women of the family wear new and beautiful clothes. Rangolis are also made at home. The whole house is decorated. Apart from the house, the cattle are thoroughly bathed and decorated.

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