Pongal - Thanksgiving!

This festival of Pongal falls in the month of January and as such this Pongal festival marks the favourable course of the Sun. 'Pongal' comes from the word 'ponga' which literally means 'boil' and so 'pongal' connotes 'spillover' or that which is 'overflowing'. It's also the name of the special sweet dish cooked on the Pongal day. Pongal continues through the first four days of the 'Thai' month (In Tamil Year) that starts on January 14 every year.

The first day is celebrated as the BHOGI PONGAL. On this day before sunrise a huge bonfire is lit in front of the houses and all the useless household things are thrown into the fire. The burning of all that is old is symbolic of the starting of a fresh new year.Homes are cleaned till they literally shine and are adorned with "Kolam" designs drawn with white paste of newly-harvested rice and outlines of the Kolam designs with red mud. In villages yellow pumpkin flowers are set out in cow-dung balls in the middle of the designs. The harvest of rice, turmeric and sugarcane is brought in and kept ready for the next day's festivities.

The second day of Pongal is known as SURYA PONGAL and is dedicated to Lord Surya, the Sun God. The preparation of this special dish needs a new mud-pot called Pongapani on which artistic designs are drawn. A plank is placed on the ground, a large image of the Sun God is sketched on it and Kolam designs are drawn around it. This icon of the Sun God is worshipped for divine benediction as the new month of 'Thai' begins. While the `Puja' is being performed, the neck of the Pongapani is tied with fresh turmeric and fresh ginger saplings with tender green leaves. The green leaves are symbolic of prosperity, the turmeric of auspiciousness, ginger for the spice of life. The special dish called "Sarkkarai Pongal" is cooked in this mud-pot. After the rituals of puja are over "Sarkkarai Pongal" with sticks of sugarcane is offered to the Sun god as a thanksgiving for the plentiful harvest. Sugarcane that is offered is symbolic for sweetness and happiness in life.

The third day is MATTU PONGAL which is the festival of cattle. To the village people cow, the giver of milk and the bull which draws the plough in the fields are very valuable and therefore the farmers honour their dumb friends by celebrating it as a day of thanks-giving to them. The cattle are washed; their horns are painted and covered with shining metal caps. Multi-coloured beads, tinkling bells, sheaf’s of corn and flower garlands are tied around their necks. They are fed with Pongal and taken to the village centres. The resounding of their bells attract the villagers as the young men race each other's cattle. The entire atmosphere becomes festive and full of fun and revelry. Big commotion is seen when the game "Manji Virattu" starts in which groups of young men chase the running bulls.

The fourth and final day marks by the name of KANUM PONGAL when coloured balls of cooked rice are placed in the open air by girls for the birds and crows to eat. With each ball of rice that the sister makes she prays for her brother's happiness and the brothers and sisters wherever they may be remember each other.

Pongal is a festival when god is praised with a simple faith and sincerity. Old vices are all washed out and all that is good is welcomed in this New year. This festival is of all living things, of man, his beast and his crop and of the birds that fly in the sky making man look up to the heaven in joy and thankfulness to God for everything that He gives to man specially peace and happiness and the feeling of brotherhood.