Lasting for over
four days Pongal, a harvest festival is celebrated in the month
of Shravan. Pongal literally means, "boiling over". The Tamil
harvest festival is celebrated with decorated cows, processions
and decorative Rangoli. Pongal is a sweet porridge made from
newly harvested rice and eaten by all, even the animals. Each
day of this festival has a special significance, however, it is
celebrated more grandly in the villages, while the city folk
mainly celebrate on the second day only. It is widely celebrated
in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Bogi festival or Bhogi is the first day of Pongal celebrated in
honor of Lord Indra, "the God of Clouds and Rains" is also known
as Indran. Lord Indra is worshiped for the abundance of harvest,
thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to the land. All the
houses from the richest to the humblest are thoroughly scrubbed
and whitewashed. Homes are cleaned and decorated with "Kolam" -
floor designs drawn in the white paste of newly harvested rice
with outlines of red mud. Often pumpkin flowers are set into
cow-dung balls and placed among the patterns. A special puja is
performed on the first day of Pongal before the cutting of
paddy. Farmers worship the sun and the earth by anointing their
ploughs and sickles with sandalwood paste. It is with these
consecrated tools that the newly-harvested rice is cut. Fresh
harvest of rice, turmeric and sugarcane is brought in from the
field as preparation for the following day.
The second day of Pongal is known as 'Surya Pongal' and is
dedicated to the Sun God. Women wake early on this day to create
elaborate kolam on the grounds in front of their doorway or
home. On this day the new rice is collected and cooked in pots
until they over flow. It is this overflowing which means Pongal.
This overflowing of rice is a joyous occasion, and the children
and adults as well will shout out 'Pongal-o Pongal!' The pot in
which the Pongal is cooked, is decorated with flowers, sugarcane
pieces, turmeric plant, etc. The first offering is made to the
Sun. The Sun God is offered boiled milk and jaggery on a plank
placed on the ground. In the centre of the plank is drawn a
large figure of the Sun God with his effulgent rays. The "Puja"
of the Sun God starts after the auspicious moment of the birth
of the new month Thai. Prayers are rendered to the Sun God to
seek his benedictions. Sweets, puddings, cooked rice or 'Sarkarai
Pongal' are prepared on this day.
The
third day of Pongal is dedicated to cattle and is called Maatu Pongal.
Cows and bulls have always held a special place in India. Cows give
nourishing milk while bulls and oxen help plough the fields. Thus, Maatu
Pongal is a day when prayers are offered to cattle and are given a well
deserved day of rest and are given pride of place. The cattle are
washed, their horns are painted and covered with shining metal caps.
Multi-colored beads, tinkling bells, sheaves of corn and flower garlands
are tied around their necks. They are fed with Pongal and taken to the
village centres. Devotees pay their respect to cows by bending down,
like praying in temple, and touching their feet and foreheads, followed
by an aarthi (showing fire to the object of praise) and offering the
cattle prasadam (food offering, in this case, Pongal). A festival called
Jallikattu is held in Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjavur on this day.
Bundles of money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls which the
villagers try to retrieve. Everyone joins in the community meal, at
which the food is made of the freshly harvested grain.
The fourth day of the three-day Pongal celebrations is called Kaanum
Pongal. In few places this day is also known as Karinaal or
Thiruvalluvar Day. Surya is worshiped on this day. Freshly cooked food
including the typical sweet dish 'Sarkarai pongal' is first offered to
Surya. Also on this day women offer prayers for the wellbeing of their
brothers. All the women, young and old, of the house, assemble in the
courtyard. The rice is placed in the centre of the leaf, while the women
ask that the house and family of their brothers should prosper. Arati is
performed for the brothers with turmeric water, limestone and rice, and
this water is sprinkled on the kolam in front of the house. On this day,
people travel to see other family members and the younger members of the
family pay homage to the elders, and the elders thank them by giving
token money.
