Festivals will blow your mind and leave you craving for more!!!

India is a country with numerous states with many religions and castes each with their own customs and practices. If each day were to be celebrated nationally and declared a holiday we would have very few working days.

Festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu

• Shivratri

• Pongal

• Panguni Uthiram

• Aadi

• Diwali

• Pillayar Chaturthi

• Saraswathi Pooja

• Karthigai Deepam

As we are in harvest season I would like to talk about Pongal now. Pongal has various names. The most common variations include Lohri in Punjab, Jammu and Himachal Pradesh, as Makar Sankranti in Goa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka and Telangana, Poki in Tamilnadu, Bihu in Assam and Hadaga in Maharashtra. Coming from Tamil Nadu, I would like to detail the various festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu, their significance and particularly the food that is prepared and consumed during these festivals.

Pongal is the most notorious jubilee in Tamil Nadu. It's the crop jubilee that lasts for four days and is celebrated in the middle of January. The jubilee is a show of appreciation and gratefulness to the Sun God for helping with the husbandry. Arrangements for Pongal begin a month before, during the month of Margali when people embellish the entrance of their houses with kolam, coloured rice grease paint and clean and colour their houses completely. During this jubilee, the first rice of the season is boiled as a homage to the Sun God. Pongal is my favourite festival because it is a four-day festival invariably extending to a week. And the most colourful with rangolis in every home and a celebration of the harvest that covers the entire state.

Bhogi

On the first day, which is called Bhogi, is celebrated to recognize Lord Indra and to seek his blessings with rains that are needed for the agricultural crops. New clothes are worn and people prefer traditional clothes such as white dhotis.

Thai Pongal

The very next day is called Thai Pongal when people wear traditional clothes and make colourful immolations of sugarcane and coconut. The day starts early with musicians visiting homes in the neighbourhood to play thé Thavil and Nadaswaram. Ladies of the house prepare Pongal using rice, coconut, raisins, ghee and jaggery (Sarkarai) and share with all.

Mattu Pongal

The third day is called Mattu Pongal, when cows are decorated with globules, bells and flowers and worshipped. This is the day of thanksgiving to all the farm animals employed on the farms. They are bathed and then their horns are painted. Pongal is prepared on the farm and given to the animals. The famed Jallikattu happens on the same date with several events happening in various villages. The most famous being the ones at Alanaganallur.

The youth get a chance to show their prowess in Taming the bulls with a cash prize and goodies going to the winners. Several games and competitions are held in many villages with kabbadi, cycle races, ox cart races.

Kari Naal

The last day is called Kari Naal when families visit each other and exchange gifts. All by each, Pongal is an awful jubilee that brings people together. Children can also be seen drawing rangolis of sugarcane and decorating Pongal pots. A day of rest after all the festivities. A day when people buy meat and cook up their favourite dishes for the larger family that is normally gathered for the holidays.

Tamil Nadu is a large meat-eating state and breakfast begins with a hearty serving of goat's blood, mutton mince, pooris and idlis. I like people who love to eat. They're the best kind of people in the world. Lunch is usually mutton curry and rice with chicken and eggs served up as well.

You all know that I explained Pongal days in the previous lines. But now I had a question on this “Pongal” what are all the new beginnings would you like to kick-start in your 2023’ ThaiThirunaal!!