Pongalo..o...... Pongal...

January 14, 2003

Pongal

Pongal falls on 15th january.Pongal starts in the month of thai, after the end of margazhi month.The last day of Margazhi is Jan 14th - which is also- Vaikunta Ekadashi - a day for Lord Venkateshwara & Narayana- which is a day of fasting & prayer. ,this day also is Bhogi. The whole month of Margazhi , from Dec 16th to Jan 14th- everyday, there was chanting of Thirupavai in the early morning before sunrise, which was rendered by Andal, in praise of Lord Krishna. it was on Kudara valli day - on Jan 11th, that Andal merged with the Paramaathma - Krishna swaroopam = Lord Sriranganathar in Srirangam.

India is a land of festivals. A majority of the population here depends on agriculture. As a result, most of the festivals are also related to the agricultural activities of the people. These festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in almost all the states of India. Pongal is one of such highly revered festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu to mark the harvesting of crops by farmers. Held in the middle of january, it is the time when the people get ready to thank God, earth and their cattle for the wonderful harvest and celebrate the occasion with joyous festivities and rituals. Pongal is a harvest festival to thank the sun god.Pongal continues through the first four days of Thai month that starts in the mid-January and spreads to mid-February. The houses are cleaned, painted and decorated. Kolams (ground patterns made out of rice flour) are made in the front yards of the houses and new clothes for the whole family are bought to mark the festivities. Even the cattle are gaily caparisoned with beads, bells and flowers-their horns painted and capped with gleaming metals. Pongal has been designated the "State Festival" for its unique celebration that is typical of TamilNadu. It is a festival celebrated by Tamils all over the world. It is the Tamil New year .It is a festival that encompasses all of TamilNadu in its joyous embrace. It is a time when the poor, the rich, the villager all celebrate the harvest festival together.

Legends relating to Pongal:

Like many other Indian festivals, Pongal also has a few interesting legends attached to it signifying the importance it holds. The most popular legend is the one connected to the first day of the Pongal celebration when the Rain God, Bhogi or Indra is worshipped. According to the legend, on this day Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger to shelter his people and save them from being washed away by the rains and floods.

Another legend is associated with the third day of Pongal celebration, also known as Mattu Pongal. According to it, Lord Shiva once asked Nandi, his bull, to go to earth and deliver his message to the people - to have an oil bath every day, and food once a month. But Nandi got it all mixed up when he delivered the message, and told the people that Shiva asked them to have an oil bath once a month, and eat every day. Shiva was displeased, and told Nandi that since the people would now need to grow more grain, Nandi would have to remain on earth and help them plough the fields. Mattu Pongal is also called Kanu Pongal, and women pray for the welfare of their brothers. This is similar to the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj celebrated in some states of North India.

A typical traditional Pongal celebration has a number of rituals attached to it. The preparations for the festival are quite elaborate. The place where the Pongal puja is to be performed is cleaned and smeared with dung, a day prior to the festival. The place chosen for this purpose usually happens to be in the courtyard or an open terrace. Kolams (ground patterns made out of rice flour) generally drawn with rice flour are special to the occasion. with the The idea behind using rice flour is that the insects would feed on it and bless the household. The kolam also bears sociological significance and is even today religiously performed daily as a threshold ceremony before dawn in traditional Tamil homes. Homes outside ,are decorated with kolams with bright & vibrant colours & the house decorated with mango leaves thoranam.

The Sankranti Rath (chariot) is a typical Pongal kolam. The ropes of the rath are supposed to be kept open till on the next day they are "joined" from house to house to symbolize a collective desire to realize an uninterrupted cosmic cycle. At the centre of it a lump of cow dung holds a five petal pumpkin flower, which is regarded as a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity

Sweet Pongal

The preparations for the Pongal festival are quite elaborate. Pongal or sweet rice is the main preparation of the festival. Sweet rice is cooked in a new earthenware pot in the same place where the puja is to be performed. Fresh turmeric is tied round the pot. A delicious concoction of rice, moong dal, jaggery and milk is boiled in the pot on an open fire. As the Pongal is being cooked, it boils over. The boiling over and spilling out of the contents of the pot is the auspicious sign that the family waits for. The ready Pongal is garnished with cashew nuts and raisins fried in ghee. The whole preparation is usually done on a predetermined time which is considered auspicious. The preparation is offered to the Gods along with vegetables and lentils, newly harvested sugarcane and bananas. Later the family sits down to a ritual meal. The ingredients of this preparation have some symbolic meaning attached to each. Rice and milk are signs of prosperity, sugarcane for happiness, while turmeric augurs the good things to come.

Besides the preparation of Pongal or the special sweet rice, the festival of Pongal is also the time to prepare some of the mouth-watering Tamil delicacies like Sakkarai Pongal, Payasam, Aval Payasam, Dal Payasam and Murukku.

Pongal Nal Vazthukkal !!!

Hema

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