Pongal (festival)
Pongal | |
---|---|
Gulf countries | |
Type | Hindu[1][2] |
Significance | Harvest festival |
Celebrations | Pongal (dish), decorations, home coming, prayers, processions, gift giving[3] |
Date | First day of the 10th month of Thai (Tamil calendar) |
2024 date | Monday, 15 January[4] |
Frequency | annual |
Related to | Makar Sankranti, Magh Bihu, Uttarayana, Maghi, Maghe Sankranti, Shakrain |
Pongal (/ˈθaɪˈpoʊŋʌl/), also referred to as Thai Pongal, is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Tamils. It is observed in the month of Thai according to the Tamil solar calendar and usually falls on 14 or 15 January. It is dedicated to Surya (the solar deity in Hinduism) and corresponds to Makar Sankranti, the Hindu observance celebrated under many regional names throughout the Indian subcontinent. The festival is celebrated over three or four days with Bhogi, Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kanum Pongal, observed on consecutive days.
According to tradition, the festival marks the end of winter solstice, and the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards called Uttarayana when the sun enters Capricorn. The festival is named after the ceremonial "Pongal", which means "to boil, overflow" and refers to the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with jaggery. Mattu Pongal is meant for celebration of cattle when the cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colors, garlands of flowers placed around their necks and processions. It is traditionally an occasion for decorating rice-powder based kolam artworks, offering prayers in the home, temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts to renew social bonds of solidarity.
Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people in Tamil Nadu and other parts of South India. It is also a major Tamil festival in Sri Lanka and observed by the Tamil diaspora worldwide.
Etymology
Thai Pongal is a portmanteau of two words: Thai (Tamil: 'தை') referring to the tenth month of the
History
The principal theme of Pongal is thanking the sun god
Observance and traditions
Pongal is a multi-day
Cuisine
The festival is named after the "Pongal" dish, which forms the festival's most significant practice. The dish is prepared by boiling freshly harvested
The dish and the process of its preparation is a part of the symbolism, both conceptually and materially.[6][14] It celebrates the harvest and the cooking symbolizes the transformation of the gift of agriculture into nourishment for the gods and the community on a day that when the sun god is believed to start the journey north.[6] The dish "boiling over" is believed to symbolically mark the blessing by Parvati.[15] It is the ritual dish, along with many other courses prepared from seasonal foods for the gathering.
Kolam
The festival is marked with colorful kolam artwork. Kolam is a form of traditional decorative art that is drawn by using rice flour often along with natural or synthetic color powders.[18] It includes geometrical line drawings composed of straight lines, curves and loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots.[19]
Bhogi
The first day of the Pongal festival is called
Surya Pongal
Surya Pongal or Thai Pongal is the second and main festive day, and is dedicated to the sun god Surya.[13][20] It is the first day of the Tamil calendar month Thai and coincides with Makara Sankranti, a winter harvest festival celebrated in other parts of India. The day marks the start of the Uttarayana, when the sun enters the tenth house of the zodiac.[9] The day is celebrated with family and friends with new clothes worn and the preparation of the traditional pongal dish in an earthen pot.[9] The pot is typically decorated by tying a turmeric plant or flower garland and placed in the sun along with sugarcane stalks.[9] The homes are decorated with banana and mango leaves, decorative florals and kolams.[9]
Relatives and friends are invited and when the pongal starts to boil and overflow out of the vessel, participants blow a conch or make sounds while shouting "Pongalo Pongal" ("may this rice boil over").[25] In rural areas, people sing traditional songs while the pongal dish is cooking.[6] The Pongal dish is first offered to Surya and Ganesha, and then shared with the gathered friends and family.[26] People traditionally offer prayers to the sun in the open and then proceed to eat their meal.[27] A community Pongal is an event where families gather at a public place for a ceremonial worship.[28][29]
Mattu Pongal
Mattu Pongal ("Madu" meaning cow) is the third day of the festival meant for the celebration of
The day marks a ritual visit to nearby temples where communities hold processions by parading icons from the sanctum of the temple in wooden chariots, drama-dance performances encouraging social gatherings and renewal of community bonds.[27] Other events during Pongal include community sports and games such as Jallikattu or bull fighting.[27] Jallikattu is a traditional event held during the period attracting huge crowds in which a bull is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape.[31] Kanu Pidi is a tradition observed on Mattu Pongal by women and young girls where they place a leaf of turmeric plant outside their home, and feed pongal dish and food to the birds, particularly crow and pray for their brothers' well being.[9][27] Brothers pay special tribute to their married sisters by giving gifts as affirmation of their filial love.[13]
Kanum Pongal
Kanum Pongal or Kanu Pongal is the fourth day of the festival and marks the end of Pongal festivities for the year.[32] The word kanum in the context means "to visit" and families hold reunions on this day. Communities organize social events to strengthen mutual bonds and consume food and sugarcane during social gatherings.[13][33] Young people visit elders to pay respects and seek blessings, with elders giving gifts to the visiting children.[13][34]
Contemporary practices
Pongal festival maybe viewed more as a "social festival" since the contemporary celebrations do not necessarily link it to temple rituals.
- Pongala
Pongala is celebrated in
- Others
In Karnataka, the festival days are similar, except the dish is called "Ellu". Decorations and social visits are also common in many parts of Karnataka.[41] The festivities coincide with Makara Sankranthi, Maghi and Bihu celebrated across various parts of India.[42][43][44]
In Sri Lanka, the celebration of Pongal among Sri Lankan Tamils varies slightly from the customs and practices followed in India. The Pongal festivities generally last only two days, essentially focused on Thai Pongal day. The custom of cooking Pongal is therefore carried out on the first day, rather than the second as in India, where Thai Pongal is preceded by Bhogi.[45]
Geography
Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people in Tamil Nadu and other parts of
See also
- List of Harvest Festivals
References
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