To spread the joy of harvesting season, people in Tamil Nadu celebrate the Pongal festival. It is celebrated with great pomp in South India. Every year, this festival is celebrated in January, during the Tai month of the Tamil solar calendar. This festival, in different forms and with different names, marks the Sun’s transition into Capricorn and is dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. Scroll down to read about the rituals and traditions followed in this festival.
Each day of the four-day festival is celebrated with unique traditions and rituals wearing traditional cotton and silk clothes.
The first day of the festival includes a bonfire tradition, symbolic of burning away negativity. People clean and decorate their homes for the new beginnings. There is a custom to prepare a special Pongal dish made with freshly harvested rice, jaggery, and milk.
Dedicated to the Sun God, the rituals of the second day include worshipping the Sun God at sunrise, seeking his blessings, and expressing gratitude. The devotees prepare a Pongal sweet dish (Pongal Recipes 2024) to offer to the Lord on this day.
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On the third day of this festival, people show their gratitude and devotion to the cattle. People adorn the cows with colourful beads and bells and offer them special offerings. The devotees also show their gratitude for the efforts of the farmers.
The devotees dedicate the final day of the festival to family and togetherness as visit relatives, exchange gifts, and enjoy traditional games and dances. The families get together, look up to the sky, and thank nature for its blessings.
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