Thai Pongal -the tamil famers festival

[Guest guest]

Thai Pongal -the tamil famers festivalNote: forwarded message attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER

25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013

Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561

Website: www.icyer.com

www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda

 

 

Photos Got holiday prints? See all the ways to get quality prints in your hands ASAP.

 

 

- Mano

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 9:42 PM

Thai Pongal (Another presentation)

 

Thai Pongal (Makara Sankranti) (Use this to explain to the younger generation) ------The Sun enters the Makara raasi (the zodiac sign of Capricorn - the goat), on Pongal day, signifying the onset of Uttarayana PunyakAalam. The following has been translated from an article in Sadachara Vybhavam of the great Hindue devotee Sripad Madhwacharya. This day is "Makara Sankranti" -- which is celebrated when the Sun begins the northward journey, marking the beginning of the "uttarAayaNa puNyakAalam". Sun enters the sign of "Makara", (Capricorn) from Cancer at this time. (This is also called equinox, when the day and nights are exactly the same). Starting this day, the duration of day starts to increase until "dakshiNaayanam" comes. Makara Sankranti signifies two things. One is the changing path of Sun and other is the beginning of "Uttarayana PunyakAalam" Makara literally means "Capricorn" and sankranti means "change" or 'sankramaNa' literally means 'crossing'. On this day, it is said that Sun passes from one Zodiac sign to another. A sankranti or sankramaNa marks the beginning of every solar month in the Vedic calendar system when Sun passes from one sign to the other, it's the figure formed by two lines of the months as celestial body call. But, being solar based the change of January 14th or 15th of every year is considered more sacred than any other month, as it is the beginning of Uttarayana PunyakAalam. Lord Suryam on His dazzling chariot that has thousands of spokes and magnificent wheels, and driven by seven horses (seven colours of the spectrum ‘YIBGYOR’) begins His journey northward into the Makara Rasi, filling our lives with light and getting rid of the darkness. This light not only fills our material life and helps our plants grow at seeding time, but also gets rid of our "internal" darkness (ignorance), showing the path of self realisation -moksha. On this day, devotees prepare a dish made of green grams, rice and jaggery (sarkkarai pongal) - representing the Lord the Divine love. The festival reminds us that we need to establish that Divine Love within ourselves and give a direction to this "chanchala buddhi" and fix it our Almighty BEING, who brings light in our lives. This same festival is celebrated as Pongal in the Thamil areas. Harvest is brought home; the new rice is then boiled in milk to make the sweet called "chakrapongal", the special cuisine of the eve. This harvest festival is celebrated for 3 days. The delicacy is first offered to Sun giver of energy (considered symbolically the chief deity under worship), and later distributed to all as prasatham. The harvest is celebrated as being blessed with Dhanyalakshmi and a splendid feast is shared by all after the Ishta Devatha pujas (Symbolic prayer). Traditionally, this period is considered an auspicious time and the veteran Bhishma of Mahabharata (Mythological story) chose to die during this period. Bhishma fell to the arrows of Arjuna. With his boon to choose the time of his death, he waited on a bed of arrows to depart from this world during this period. Sri Bhishma Pitamaha waited on the bed of arrows till the "uttaraayaNa punyakaalam" has arrived, and then breathed once more, for the last time. It is believed that one escapes the cycle of repeated birth and death, if one gives up one's body on this day. The uttarAyaNa (northern course of the Sun) was traditionally considered more auspicious than the dakshiNAyana (southern course of the Sun). Over the years, this led some to believe that dying during dakshiNAyana, the southern path of the sun, was inauspicious and did not lead to moksha - release - liberation. This belief is cast aside in the Brahma-Sutras that the time of death is immaterial in the case of the intelligent devotee. In those Sutras (verses), it is established that one who has knowledge of the BEING can die during any time; the exaltations of ‘uttarAyaNam’ are merely to praise meditation on the path to ‘Vaikundam’, which the wise devotees ‘jIvan’ takes upon death. This divine path beginning with light, is presided upon by deities of greater and greater brilliance, with ‘uttarAyaNam’ being one of them. This path culminates in Vaikundam, the state of moksha, and shastram says it should be meditated upon daily by the yogi of devotion. Sesame oil is used in making sweets and dishes, particularly on this day. It is believed that sesame seeds are used for purificatory purpose (or as being auspicious - "tila juhomi sarasaagum sapishhThaam gandhaara mama chitteramanutu swaaha", "tila krishnaa tila shevataa tila saumyaavashaanugaa". (written in Sankrit) So generally special offerings of sesame, rice or corn (first harvest) are offered and distributed, special preparations of rice porridige (pongal) with sesame are a prefered offering to the Almighty Supreme BEING on this day. In different parts of Tamil areas have slight variations (local traditions prevail) but the gereral observance is much the same. They absorb themselves in the festival of Pongal - new harvest festival. Some devotees also have elaborate festivals offering six kinds of sesame preparation in the service of the Lord on Sat-tila ekadasi: