There is also a belief in the Hindus that the harvest festival will bring great wealth and goodness to their homes. For the festival, the Hindus buy new clothes and the ladies of the households would prepare sweetmeats. The houses are cleaned and decorated to prepare for Pongal. At the center of the Kolam is a lump of cow-dung, which holds a five-petaled pumpkin flower-a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity. The kolams serve as a symbol of welcoming guests to the entrance of the house. This decorative pattern is made with rice flour & is usually drawn on the floor outside the door.
This is a form of decoration for the Hindus’ homes. Preparations for this festival start early and the first thing that is always found in Hindu homes before the start of Pongal is the ‘kolam’. The Sun is offered a “Pongal” of rice and milk. Families gather to rejoice and share their joy and their harvests with others. It is held to honor the Sun, for a bountiful harvest. That paraphrased means with the dawn of the month of Thai, there will be peace, happiness, prosperity, brightness and harmony in the life of everyone. There is a Thamil saying that “Thai peranthal Vali Perakum”. The four day celebration of Pongal Marks a period of plenty, peace and happiness. On the first day of the Thai, the Sun leaves the zodiac sign of Sagittarius and enters that of capricorn, the latter is known as Makaram. The farmer is termed Uttarayanam and the latter is Dakshinayanam.
Pongal means the “boiling over” of milk and rice during the month of Thai.Īccording to the calendar based on the solar system the year is divided into two halves following the apparent movement of the Sun northwards and Southwards. The first day of this month is a festival day known as “Pongal Day”.
#PONGAL FESTIVAL SERIES#
With the end of the wet month of Margazhi (mid December to mid January) the new Thamil month of Thai heralds a series of festivals. Once a year, he expresses his gratitude to these during the harvest festival. The farmer cultivating his land depends on cattle, timely rain and the Sun. In an agriculture based civilisation the harvest plays an important part. Pongal is a harvest festival – the Thamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. Pongal Harvest Festival Celebration (13th to 16th January)
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