PONGAL FESTIVAL IN TAMIL NADU

[Gurukrishnapriya]

Dear Local Guides 

After a very long time I am writing my post in Local Guides Connect. To start with a good note I have decided to write about a very famous Festival which is celebrated throughout India. In my state of TamilNadu,  it is celebrated as PONGALFESTIVAL. In this regard I would like to mention @TravellerG who motivated me to write about this Festival. 

Due to my Husband's health issues I was unable to write posts, which is my most favorite activity.  I am missing a lot. Hopefully I could continue from now on. 

THE PONGAL FESTIVAL 

 

(A drawing by my student studying

3rd Std.)

Depicting Pongal cooked in a pot in a field and sugarcanes placed in two sides of the pot.

This festival is  a Harvest Festival.  This is celebrated for 4 days.   

Day 1 - Bhogi Festival 

This festival falls on last day of Marghazhi   month.  This day early morning old things (biodegradable) are burnt in the streets before each household.  This implies burning of old unwanted negativity and welcome all new good things.  Farmers clear the agriculture waste and make space for newly harvested products. 

Day 2 - Surya Pongal 

This is the first day of Tamil  month THAI. Thanks ggiving day to Sun God for giving the wonderful Harvest.  Pongal is the name of a festival as well as a name of a dish.

According to tradition this day newly harvested rice is cooked in a new pot in an open space. Sugar cane, Turmeric plant fruits, coconut and flowers are placed alongside and offered to Sun God.

Pongal dish is prepared in a pot for Pongal Festival. 

This dish is done by boiling rice and moong dal in a clay pot. Sweet Pongal is prepared by adding jaggery and salt Pongal is prepared by adding, asafoetida, salt,  pepper and cumin seeds. Then cashew is fried in ghee and added to both sweet and salt Pongal. 

This dish is then offered to Sun God, by praying and doing some rituals.  

Day 3 - Mattu Pongal 

Thanks giving to the cows and cattle. Since  my country is a agriculture based country all our festivals  have connections with agriculture.  As cattle forms a main part in agriculture, the second day of of this festival is dedicated to cows and bulls.

Day 4 - Kaanum Pongal 

On this day people visit Temples and seek the blessings of elders. The young get gifts from their elders. Village festivities and fun fairs are conducted.  The whole day people go for outing with family and friends. The famous Manjuvirattu I.e. bull fight is conducted throughout the State.

This festival is celebrated throughout India with different names.

ONE FESTIVAL MANY NAMES 

THIS HARVEST FESTIVAL BRINGS

ALL HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY.

The above picture gives the different names for the festival in different places of the country.  

@RosyKohli  hope this post gives you an idea of how this festival is celebrated in my location. 

Thanks for reading. 

[TravellerG]

Hello dear @Gurukrishnapriya 

Wow... really appreciate your awesome work - informative and interesting...

Congratulations.

All the four days of Pongal are explained very well.

The drawing by your 3rd standard student is excellent... kindly convey our admiration, please.

I shall be visiting again for more feedback, tomorrow.

PS:

Thanks are also for specially mentioning me.

Regards

🙏

[Tushar_Suradkar]

Excellent article dear @Gurukrishnapriya Ji

A big thanks goes to @TravellerG  for the inspiration.

Although Pongal is very well known across India I never knew that it was a food item to be cooked 😊

Thank you for the recipe as well 🙏

[RosyKohli]

@Gurukrishnapriya 

Thanks for the beautiful ,well explain post, kid has done awesome drawing. 

U have written earlier would have share in # Festival trivia game. Even would know but no issue but your post on kolam was shared & ask question also during trivia game. Everyone enjoyed knowing so much about festival. 

[KashifMisidia]

Beautiful post about such a colourful and amazing festival @Gurukrishnapriya jee.

I heard alot about festivals of south India, and i love to see all these celebrations by myself one day. Food, for all four days sounds amazing. I hope one day I can make it.

Happy Pongal to all who are celebrating 🎉

[Gurukrishnapriya]

Thanks @TravellerG Sir for your kind gesture.  Take your own time and give me your detailed feedback.  This write-up is just a precise one. Though it gives a complete idea of the festival.  

@RosyKohli Ma'am 

It's really amazing to know about our cultural heritage,  though divided by different languages,  we stay united by culture.  Thanks for your valuable comments.  Thanks again for sharing my post in the state challenge series. 

[Gurukrishnapriya]

Thanks @Tushar_Suradkar 

Yes Pongal is a Festival only in Tamil Nadu.  In other parts of India it has a different name. Pongal dish is equivalent to kichidi.  Except onions and garlic not added. Happy to note that you liked my post. 

@KashifMisidia bhai, it will be a great pleasure to celebrate festivals, particularly harvest festivals. Thanks for your wonderful feedback.  It's really a kind of  motivation to me to write more posts. Thanks again. 

[JohnPeter]

Wonderfully presented. Excellent dear @Gurukrishnapriya ji

[TanjoreRavi]

Congrats GuruKrishnapriya for the nice depiction of our festival.  

[Gurukrishnapriya]

Thanks a lot @JohnPeter. Agriculture is our main occupation and we should never forget our farmers.

@TanjoreRavi a small contribution from my side. Thanks a lot for supporting.