Pongal

Pongal is a very famous festival in South India. It is observed greatly in Tamil culture. According to the Solar calendar of Tamil, this festival falls in Tai (month). 

The Thai Pongal festival in India is devoted to the Sun God and signifies the commencement of Uttarayan. Uttarayan is the path of the sun to the north. Let us study what the Pongal festival is and its significance. 

Pongal 

The word Pongal comes from the Tamil word, which means to boil. Pongal is a very old festival in South India, especially for Tamils. It is a four-day festival celebrated in India. The significance of Pongal is largely in the state of Tamilnadu from January-February. 

This falls at the time of the Solar Equinox after crops are harvested. These crops are turmeric, rice etc. The festival is a way to give thanks for the year’s harvest. It is amongst the very famous Hindu festivals. It is celebrated almost at the same time as Lohri or Makar Sankranti in other parts of India. 

History Of Pongal

The history of the Thai Pongal festival in India can be related to the time of the Sangam age. It is also said to be the Dravidian harvest festival. However, a few scholars assert that Pongal is around 2000 years old. It was earlier well-known as Thai Nadal.

According to the history of Pongal, the unmarried girls worshipped the prosperity of the country’s agriculture sector. To achieve this, they followed penance. They did not consume milk and products made out of it. They did not apply oil to their hair during the month. They had to take the early morning bath as part of the ritual.

Pongal -First Day

The first day of this festival is celebrated as the Bhogi festival. It is celebrated to thank Lord Indra. He is considered the rain God. During the first day of Pongal, bhogi mantalu is also celebrated. According to the customs, the items of no use in the house are traditionally put on fire. The fire is made up of wood and cow dung cakes.

Pongal – Second Day

On the second day of Pongal, a very special ritual is carried out. According to this ritual, milk and rice are put together in a pot and boiled. A turmeric plant is attached to the pot as a special offering to Sun. People also offer bananas, sugarcane and coconut to the Sun god. 

Another special ritual of the day is kolam. The very famous south-Indian hand-drawn design is done at the door of the house. This is made with lime powder. It is drawn after taking a bath in the morning.

Pongal- Third Day

The third day marks the celebration of Mattu Pongal. It is done in the honour of cows. According to the history of Pongal, they are decorated with garland and bells and are worshipped. 

According to the old stories, Shiva asked his bull (Basava) to go to the people and convey the message to have a bath daily and an oil massage and eat once a month. However, Bull wrongly conveyed that Shiva wants the people to have an oil massage once a month and eat every day. 

In anger, Shiva asked his bull to stay on earth for his entire life. He even cursed him for working in the field to cultivate crops. Therefore this is the entire story related to the worship of cattle.

Pongal – Fourth Day

The fourth day of Pongal is Kanu. On the day of Kannan, women carry out a rare ritual where the left sweet Pongal and food items are laid out on a turmeric leaf, betel nuts and betel leaves. Women do this for their brothers. They pray for their well being.

What Is The Significance Of Pongal?

India is primarily related to agriculture. The majority of the festivals here are related to nature. The significance of Pongal is that it is a harvesting festival. It is also a thanksgiving ritual to thank lord Indra and Sun god for enabling the agriculture walkers to harvest the crops. According to the ritual of this festival, people discard old items and put them into the bonfire, which is made out of wood and cow dung cakes. This is a gesture to welcome new beginnings.

Conclusion

Pongal is a very auspicious festival of the Hindu community. It is very famous in the Indian state of Tamilnadu. This festival is also largely celebrated in Sri Lanka. It marks prosperity, well-being, and wealth. It is celebrated for 4 days. The 4 days of festivals are Bhogi, Surya, Mattu and Kaanum. The younger take the blessings of the elders and thank God for the agricultural harvest.