Happy Pongal

May this harvest festival bring you a bountiful supply of good health, prosperity and good fortune. May you rejoice in all that you have achieved the past year and look forward to another great year.

Pongal

Pongal is a 4-day Harvest Festival celebrated by the Tamil community in India and other parts of the world. It is known as Thai Pongal as it is celebrated in the month of Thai under the Indian calendar. 
 
In Tamil, the word Pongal means "overflowing", signifying abundance and prosperity and it is celebrated to show gratitude for the past year's harvest. During the Pongal celebration, rice with cardamons, raisins, cashew nuts, etc is boiled in a new clay pot filled with fresh milk. As part of the ritual, the milk is allowed to boil over and bubble out of the vessel. 

There are four days of celebration. The first day (the day before the actual Pongal celebration) is known as Bhogi / Bogi Pongal. On this day, old household items are discarded and the house is cleaned. 
 
The second day is known as Surya Pongal. It falls on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai and is the day when the celebrations actually begin. Women create elaborate Kolam in front of the doorway and decorate the house with sugarcane. Rice is cooked with milk in clay pots and traditionally the milk is supposed to boil over as it denotes good luck and prosperity. 
The rice is then served with other sweet and savory delicacies such as payasam and vadai. Sugar canes are also consumed. Prayers are offered in gratitude for the past harvest. 

The third day is known as Maatu Pongal. This day is dedicated to cattle as a form of gratitude to the cows who provide milk and bulls who help to plough the fields. On this day, the cattle are given a bath and decorated with beads, tinkling bells, flower garlands, etc. They are also given a well-deserved rest. 

The fourth day is known as Kaanum Pongal. It is the day for family as sisters pray for the well-being and good fortune of their brothers while brothers offer gifts to their sisters. Landlords and employers present gifts of clothes and money to their employees. It is a day to thank everyone for their help during the harvest season. It also marks the end of the Pongal festival. 

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