THAI PONGAL (HARVEST FESTIVAL).

Tamil people celebrate Pongal the first three days of ‘Thai’

Which is the first month of Tamil year calendar they all follow.

It’s usually in the middle of January and lasting for three days 

Celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

 

It’s now a cultural event rather than a strict religious festival day

Farmers join together to celebrate the event as a special occasion, 

To pray to the Sun, thank the Nature, the farmers and their cattle 

For their help and support to provide a rich harvest for that season.

 

People of different faiths get together to celebrate this function

Thanking farmers and farm animals and express their gratitude 

For their hard work for food production and feed the whole nation.

It is really ‘a thanks giving ceremony’ to unite all the folks together! 

 

Our Pongal has its own traditional customs and unique ceremony 

Every house is well decorated and front garden is pre-prepared, 

A flat square pitch decorated with ‘kolam’ drawings and flowers

And exposed to the direct sunlight and a firewood hearth is set up.

 

On the Pongal day the family is well prepared before the sunrise

All members get up early morning, have shower and new clothes 

Traditional ornamental lamp is decorated with flowers and kept lit

Flowers, fruits and leaves symbolise auspiciousness and prosperity

 

All assemble in front garden to cook a traditional Pongal (pudding)

Boiling water and cooking rice in a clay pot on a firewood hearth

Mixing more ingredients for this special dish; brown sugar and milk 

A few pods of cardamom, green gram, raisins and cashew nuts!

 

When the meal is ready it is first served on a clean banana leaf,

Family prays to the Sun and thank the farmers and the cattle.

After this ceremony the Pongal meal is served with many fruits 

To the family first, shared later with all neighbours and friends. 

 

Thai Pongal is an occasion for family re-unions and get-together, 

Old enmities, personal animosities and all rivalries are ditched. 

Estrangements are healed and reconciliation effected absolutely.

It’s a festival of mutual trust and love for co-existence to flourish!

 

 ‘PLEASE RAISE YOUR VOICE AND SAY ‘PONGAL-O-PONGAL’