The four-day long harvest festival of Tamil Nadu,
Pongal is celebrated from January 13 to 16 every year. While each of its
days has a special religious significance, most urban people celebrate
second day as the main festival. On the first day known as Bhogi, people
clean out their homes thoroughly and in the evening, all unwanted goods
are lit in a bonfire. On the second day known as Surya Pongal, the first
day of the Tamil month Thai, the celebrations actually begins and the
Sun God 'Surya' is worshipped. Before sunrise, women make elaborate
'kolum' patterns in front of their doorways or home with colored rice
flour to welcome the sun. Everybody wears new clothes and new utensils
or household items are bough. 'Ponga' literally means overflowing and is
named so because of the tradition of cooking the new rice in pots until
they overflow, which is symbolic of abundance and prosperity.
As the rice overflows, children and adults shout out 'Pongal-o
Pongal!'. A dish is prepared called Venpongal from rice, pulses and
sugar, which is eaten with brinjal, sambar, vadai and idli. There are
other pongal varieties too, all having different recipes. The third day
is known as Maatu Pongal and is devoted to the cattle. Cows and bulls
are decorated and worshipped on this day. In some villages in south
India, various forms of bull fights were organized but have become a
rarity now-a-days. The fourth day known as Kaanum Pongal is meant to
visit family members, where the younger members pay homage to the elders
while the elders pay them token money as gifts. Food is also served to
birds on this day, on banana leaves. Pongal is basically an agricultural
festival and is more associated with the rural life.



