Significance of Pongal in Tamilnadu

The harvest festival of Tamilnadu is Pongal and perhaps the most celebrated by the rural and farming communities. The festival goes by different names such as Makar Sankranthi in Karnataka, Bihu in Assam and Baisakhi or Lohri in Punjab and so on. The common thread being the celebration of the start of the harvest season.  In Tamilnadu this harvest festival is named after the ritual Pongal which means boil or overflow which refers to a traditional dish prepared with the harvest rice, cooked with milk and jaggery

The festival goes on for three days in Tamilnadu

Bhogi  Pongal

The first day of the festival is called as Bhogi pandigai or Bhogi  Pongal. It is celebrated in honour of Lord Indra for abundance of harvest and to bring prosperity to land. During this day they form an bonfire  with wood or cow dung and burn unwanted items. The main idea behind this is to forget or get rid of the past and to welcome the future or new beginnings with a positive note. They also offer prayers to the God of rain with thanks and hope for abundance rains in the year  ahead. 

On this day they make varieties of sweet dishes like poli , Arasi paruppu payasam and many more. Check out the below link for some amazing recipes https://www.subbuskitchen.com/bogi-festival_12/

 

Thai Pongal

The second Day of Pongal is known as Surya Pongal or Thai Pongal. It is considered to be the main Pongal. On this Day People worship God Surya   for the abundance of harvest. They decorate their homes with fresh turmeric leaves, banana or mango leaves and their entrance with Colourful Kolams. People working in different far away towns and cities visit their hometown and meet their friends and families and have a get together. After a hearty lunch families go to theatres and enjoy movies. The best movies by top film stars are usually released at this time with a lot of fandom. This year appears to be a dampner for movie fans as theatres have restrictions on seating and people will be cautious before heading to the theatres. The releases scheduled this Pongal are  Kombu Vatcha  Singamada  and Naai Shekar .

The Sweet Dish Pongal is prepared on the day in an earthen pot using freshly harvested rice, milk and jaggery and is allowed to boil and overflow out of the pot with a hope of great fortunes in the year ahead. The pot is decorated by tying a turmeric plant or a flower garland. Apart from the sweetest dish pongal sugarcane is also an indispensable part of this festival that’s because the sugarcane symbolizes sweetness and happiness. On this day people do not consume meat but prepare  vegetarian recipes, sweet dishes and enjoy it together with their family.

Mattu Pongal

Mattu pongal is the third day of the  pongal festival and is famous for the bull fight known as Jallikattu . This day is celebrated as a thanksgiving to cow and bulls who provides us milk and manures  on the day of Mattu Pongal the cattles are bathed and decorated. Their  horns are painted and are adorned with garlands and tinkling bells. They are  given specially prepared pongal and special prayers are offered to them. In the second half of Mattu Pongal an ancient sport called Jallikattu is held.

 People assemble at a common place and the bulls are let out one by one. The participating Bull should be embraced by a man holding its hump for a specific amount of time. To encourage participation Prizes are tied to the horn of the bull and those who are taming it will be rewarded with the prize. After many days of fasting and eating only vegetarian dishes, People wait for mattu pongal to consume meat. All mutton shops are filled with people and in every household different mutton varieties are cooked. On this day goats are pledged to the deity as a way to redeem their vows takes place.

 

Kaanum Pongal

Kannum pongal is the last day of the Pongal Festival.  Kannum  means to visit. It is a day to relax and to socialize with  family and friends.In the evening together as a family they watch movies and munch on their favourite snacks, like  Thillai’s Pop ‘n Flix a perfect snack partner for perfect evening. Sumptuous  meal is prepared on the day  and youngsters pay respect to the elders .Merry making in the village with meat/ liquor and a day of relaxation marks the end of the Pongal festival.

However this Pongal  let us ensure that we celebrate it with our loved ones by staying safe, healthy  and by following all the pandemic protocols and in   meantime Check out Thillai’s recipe page for some amazing mutton recipes .Thillai’s wishes you Pongal  O ‘ Pongal. 

Author Name : Jaisinh Vaerkar