Pongal
Pongal is one of the most prominent festivals of South India. It is mainly celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. People of South India celebrate this festival as New Year.
At the same time when the festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated in North India, the festival is celebrated in South India at the same time.
This is a harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil community. It is a celebration to thank the Sun, Mother Nature and the various farm animals that help to contribute to a bountiful harvest. Celebrated over four days, Pongal also marks the beginning of the Tamil month called Thai, which is considered an auspicious month.
When is starting?
According to the Tamil calendar, when the Sun God moves out of Sagittarius and enters Capricorn on January 14 or 15, it is considered the beginning of the new year. This year the festival of Pongal will be celebrated from 15 January to 18 January 2023.
Major traditions of the four-day festival The festival of
Festival celebrated in different forms for four days. The first day of this four-day festival is celebrated as Bhogi. On this day worship is done to please Indra Dev. The second day of Pongal festival is celebrated as Surya Pongal, the third day as Mattu Pongal and the fourth day as Kannam.
Pongal is a symbol of happiness and prosperity.
It is believed that the way Makar Sankranti is celebrated in North India when the sun is set. Similarly, Pongal festival is celebrated in the South. Traditionally, this festival is considered a symbol of prosperity, in which rain, sunlight and farm cattle are worshiped to bring prosperity.
In this way it is believed that Pongal
Pongal festival is celebrated with great pomp. During this, houses are cleaned and plastered. After this Rangoli is made. It is believed that on the occasion of Pongal, South Indian people give up bad habits and wish for a happy life.
Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil community. It is a celebration to thank the Sun, Mother Nature and the various farm animals that help to contribute to a bountiful harvest. Celebrated over four days, Pongal also marks the beginning of the Tamil month called Thai, which is considered an auspicious month. It usually falls on the 14th or 15th of January each year.
Pongal is also the name of the dish made and eaten during this festival. It is a mixture of boiled sweet rice. It is derived from the Tamil word pongu, which means “to boil over”.
Diwali – The Festival of Lights
