The religious and Cultural Significance of Pongal Celebration

[Guest guest]

The religious and Cultural Significance of Pongal Celebration

 

India is vibrant with mythological tales of Gods and Goddesses and evolved

over centuries as a mystic land of festivals. Every occasion we can dream of

is celebrated with gaiety, pomp and fervor. These colourful and happy

festivals bind the Indian people across various states in a unique way and

provide a spectacle that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world. The

celebration of Pongal in Tamil Nadu illustrates the exhibition of the

religious and cultural heritage that India cherishes. The festival is also

known as Makara Sankranthi. Pongal Celebration is primarily to thank the

agents of nature for the bounty grain harvest. This festival of Pongal falls

in the month of January after the winter solstice and as such this Pongal

festival marks the favorable course of the Sun.

 

The word `Pongal' literally has two connotations. Firstly it is the name of

the special dish cooked on this day and secondly the word "Ponga" means

"boil." So the word 'Pongal' means that which is overflowing. The preparation

of this special dish needs a new mud-pot called Pongapani on which artistic

designs are drawn. The village fair where these pots of different shapes and

designs

are sold is truly an aesthetic treat for the eyes to behold as also the

specially set up colourful sugarcane market. While the `Puja' is being

performed, the neck of the Pongapani is tied with fresh turmeric and fresh

ginger saplings with tender green leaves. The green leaves are symbolic of

prosperity, the turmeric of auspiciousness, ginger for the spice of life. The

special dish called

"Sarkkarai Pongal" is cooked in this mud-pot. After the rituals of puja are

over "Sarkkarai Pongal" with sticks of sugarcane is offered to the Sun god as

a thanksgiving for the plentiful harvest. Pongal is also offered to the

cattles as a symbolic gesture to thank them for their contribution to the

harvest. Sugarcane that is offered is symbolic for sweetness and happiness in

life. Pongal prayers and greetings illustrate these points through expressions

such as:

 

May the pot of Pongal boils over and brings the prosperity of our life,

May the Pongal gets the fragrance of turmeric to give us joy,

May the taste of sugarcane delivers sweetness to everyone,

May the relish of spices help us to deal with all challenges of our life,

May the blessings of the Sun God flood our lives with the light of vision.

 

In Rig Veda there are references to Kamadhenu, the mythical and miraculous

"wish-cow" and Karpakavirucha, the incredible-tree. Kamadhenu, the cow gives

everything that anyone wishes. Kamadhenu and Karpakavirucha symbolically

illustrate the spontaneity of giving that is prevalent in Nature. Animals,

trees and plants obey the laws of nature of giving all by taking a little.

Flowers, fruits, honey and milk became sacred because they symbolically remind

the law of Nature to the human beings. These materials became the spiritual

tools to prepare the human soul to undertake the spiritual journey of life.

Symbolically, the presence of divinity is visible in the presence of these

spiritual symbols of the divinity. We the human beings need to learn a lot

from the spontaneity shown by the trees, plants and the animals. Trees,

plants and the animals seem to obey the Karma Yoga without any hesitation!

The behavior of trees, flower plants and the cows constantly remind the human

beings that materialism is not the human dharma! During Pongal Celebrations,

the worship is conducted in front of the Sun surrounded by decorated animals,

Sugarcanes, Turmeric and Bananas. The main focus of Pongal is remind all of

us to obey the laws of nature by observing our Swadharma with the embodied

Divine Nature!

 

Happy Pongal to Everyone,

 

Ram Chandran

[Guest guest]

Pongal coincides with Margali month which celebrates the famous Andal's love and

worship of Lord Sri Krishna.Her thirty Divine Compositions called Thiruppavai

start with beginning of Margali and complete on Sankranti Day! Thiruppavai, as

is well known,is considered as holy as all sacred scriptures brings out the

sweetness of Devotion and Divine Love..

 

Happy Sankranti to All!

 

Ananda Sagar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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