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While harvest festivals are common around the world, this Tamil Nadu harvest festival has its own special vibe, Pongal. Celebrated by the Tamil community inland and overseas, the soul of this festival lies in the gratitude towards the Sun, Mother Nature and animals who play a crucial role to get lucrative harvest. Pongal has an amazing and vibrant energy that’s sure to lift you up! You'd see people dressed in new clothing, worshiping and enjoying themselves. Most importantly, the heart of the pongal is pongal. Nothing wrong!The first pongal is the festival but the other one is a delicious dish, which is a must on Pongal and can be seen prepared in each house in southern India.This Tamil Nadu harvest festival signifies the beginning of a six- month long journey of the Sun northwards, known as uttarayan and also marks the end of winter solstice.
Story behind Pongal festival, Tamil Nadu
The roots of Pongal can be traced back to Sangam age, a historical era in Tamil Nadu from 200 BC to 300 AD. The tradition of celebrating pongal began with the thought of expressing gratitude to Sun God, Surya and gradually thanking nature and farm animals too, for a bountiful harvest. Plus, there are many legends which are somehow related to the origin of Pongal. The first says that Lord Shiva commanded Nandideva (sacred bull of Lord Shiva) to tell people to eat once a month and have an oil bath everyday. But, unintentionally, Nandideva told people to eat everyday and take an oil bath once a day. The second legend is related to Lord Krishna and Indra Deva, the story starts when Lord Krishna encouraged people to worship Govardhan parvat ( mountain), to be thankful to nature. This angered Indra deva, who was already arrogant and he caused heavy downpour which flooded the land. Then, Lord Krishna lifted the massive mountain and saved everyone.
Pongal rituals
Being one of the most important festivals in Southern India, it is celebrated with a lot of zeal and excitement. Wondering about Pongal rituals? Firstly we need to know that Pongal is not a one day festival, it is celebrated for 4 days by the rural population and for 2 days by urban people and those living abroad which usually falls on 14 or 15 January.
The first day is called Bhogi pongal, the unwanted old belongings are discarded and burned out in a bonfire, houses are cleaned and decorated with a festive spirit. This depicts the thought to let go of the past and welcome the new beginnings of your life.
The second day is the most crucial day of Pongal festival i.e. Surya pongal. It is celebrated to honour Sun God, Surya deva. The entrances of houses are decorated with traditional arts known as kolam and each house prepares a special dish known as Pongal. In a clay pot, rice is cooked with milk and cardamoms, Jaggery and other spices are also added to it. As the rice boils over the pot, everyone shouts with joy, “Pongalo pongal”! which is considered very auspicious and symbolizes prosperity and abundance. Then, the dish is offered to Sun God thanking him for a plentiful harvest and distributed among family and community members. Furthermore, this dish is also prepared in many temples and distributed to people as prasad (blessed offering).
The third day is called Maatu Pongal in which cattle ( maatu) are honoured, worshipped and thanked for their hard work – which is vital to yield an abundant harvest. The cattle are bathed and adorned with garlands and bells. Plus, their horns are also painted with bright colours and offered sweets and fruits especially the sweet pongal dish.
Kaanum pongal is the last day of the Pongal festival. All the members of the family gather at one place and enjoy a lavish meal and younger members seek the blessings of older people of the family. The people also visit each other. The significance of this day lies in strengthening the family and community ties.
Best place to celebrate Pongal
Primarily celebrated in Tamil Nadu, India, you can also enjoy pongal in many southern states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. However, it is also celebrated by the Tamil diaspora living in Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka and more. Are you wondering about the best place to enjoy Pongal? What would be better than its homeland? Of Course Tamil Nadu, pongal celebrations in Chennai are famous as the city comes alive with its colorful decorations, traditional dances and yummy food.
Apart from Chennai, you can also visit many other places depending on your desires and preferences. Like, go to Madurai for a grand ritualistic feel, Madurai Amman temple holds a grand procession during the festival, but if you are curious to witness all pongal traditional in detail, Thanjavur is a good place for you letting you experience pongal's agricultural significance with rural festivities and bullock cart races. You can plan your visit to Kanyakumari, why? Here, you can indulge yourself into pongal celebration while enjoying
sunsets and pristine beaches, a perfect holiday escape.
Pongal special dishes
During the celebration of Pongal festival, Tamil Nadu, a variety of dishes are prepared by people, let's have a look at some popular dishes.
1.Ven pongal - It's a staple breakfast dish in southern India and enjoyed with sambar and coconut chutney. You'd need rice , lentils, ghee and some spices like black pepper and cumin to prepare this.
2.Sambhar - A perfect pair for idli, dosa, vada or rice, Sambar is a staple in every South Indian house. You can make this savoury and tangy vegetable stew with toor daal, vegetables( pumpkin and eggplant), sambar masala and tamarind.
3.Coconut chutney - Favourite of many, it has a sweet, nutty and spicy flavour and served with idli, dosa or ven pongal. The key ingredients are coconut, green chillies and chana daal ( gram dal).
4. Sakkarai pongal - Its the main dish prepared on pongal in each house in southern India. This sweet delicacy is made with rice, jaggery, ghee and cardamom.
Not only limited to pongal, you can relish all these dishes whenever you feel like trying something new and unique.