Pongal Festival in India

When the sun moves into the northern constellation, the Hindu almanac marks the passage with Makar Sankranti. The day is celebrated as Pongal in South India and as Makar Sankranti in North India. Pongal is the most important harvest festival that is observed with much enthusiasm all over South India.

On Pongal, rice is ritually cooked and allowed to boil on, symbolizing the ushering in of plenty. Generally the festival of Pongal is celebrated during 13th of January to 16th of January. In the state of Tamil Nadu, the celebration becomes magnificent. The celebration has special significance in the villages and the occasion is celebrated with much fanfare. For four days, people come mark each occasion with special rituals.

The first day of the festival is called Bhogi. People clean up their houses and make sure that they get rid of all the unwanted goods. In villages where mud huts were common, people break their home and reconstruct it with fresh mud and cow dung. The floor too is redone and the house sports a new look. Cow dung is applied to sanitize the place from germs.

The second day of the festival is called Surya Pongal. Women folk get up early in the morning and make designs made of rice in front of the doorway. This is called "Kolum". People wear new clothes in this occasion. Old utensils are discarded and rice is prepared in new pots. The celebration is actually in the overflowing of rice when boiled. Pongal is an expression of joy.

The third day of the festival is celebrated as Maatu Pongal. On this day, cows and bulls are decorated with paints and bells. People pay homage to these animals. People also go to temples and offer reverence to God. In the villages, people also organize events life bull fights but the custom is not very wide spread.

The forth day of Pongal is marked as Kaanum Pongal. On this day people visit each others house and share time with family members and friends. While the younger members of the family pay homage to the elders, they in return present the young ones with gifts. Crow feeding is another custom that people in this part of the country religiously follow.

Pongal is a festival that celebrates the bountifulness of nature. It is a celebration of plenty. With prosperity and economic well-being, the festival of Pongal will become more and more meaningful. The houses and the localities are decked up for the occasion. Tourists love the ambience of festivity and the celebration of Pongal attracts lot of international tourists.