Pongal
| 21 February 2011
Pongal is a three day festival celebrating the harvest held in South India. It is held around the 13th and 14th January every year; more precisely the festival begins the day of the winter solstice or Uttarayana, the day the sun starts moving north. It is a special period all over India, because everybody celebrates the harvest of the crops. In most other states of India, the festival is referred to as Makara Sankhrati. However each state celebrates it in a different way.
In Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, the celebration is spread over a period of three to four days. The festival acquires its name from a dish made from boiling rice with milk and jaggery also known as Pongal. The celebration is centred on paying respect to the Sun God, and on the 1st day, called Bhogi, old possessions are thrown into a fire and everyone looks forward to the new riches the harvest promises. The 2nd day, known as Perum pongal or Thai Pongal is probably the most important day because the cooking of the Pongal made from the fresh rice of the harvest is done on this day.
P. Sarojini, a retired principal and local resident of Pondicherry recounts, “ Generally the family gathers around the cooking pot awaiting the overflow and ready to shout: Pongal O Pongal. The houses are decorated with colourful Kolams (sand paintings done with coloured rice powder) and after a small puja all the items that have been harvested in that season along with a bit of sugarcane are offered to the gods and then eaten as prasadam.”
Day 3 is known as Mattu Pongal, when the cattle are shown gratitude for having toiled hard in the farms. The cows are decorated with colours and their horns are painted too. The cows are then paraded around the streets amidst a general cry of Pongal O Pongal. The 4th and final day or Kaanum Pongal is spent is meeting other families and friends. It is considered auspicious to start any new venture post Pongal.
P. Sarojini was also kind enough to explain how important Pongal is in a Tamil household and more specifically in her neighbourhood. She says “ Pongal is a remarkable show of the community coming alive, with Kolams in front of every house and the women get up early preparing the meal and getting ready for the puja. The festive period is almost considered as an excuse to indulge and most families save to spend lavishly during this season.
She also explains how things have changed since she was small and recounts, “Fifty years ago it was celebrated much more grandly whereas the general interest in modern times is dipping and it is done more dutifully rather than with love and excitement. In the days of old there was a genuine interest, which is lacking now because of modern advancements; the holy aspect of the day isn’t as vivid now. Everything is seen through a practical point of view nowadays and it loses somehow its sanctity. E.g. – buying new clothes, getting up early and doing puja, going to the temple etc… are being shunned by the new generation.”
Although the younger generations seem less keen on following the traditional rituals, Pongal still remains a happy and prosperous time for most families. The local village streets are bubbling with life and colours and two weeks into every year the Tamilians are seen enjoying themselves.