Wednesday, 7 January 2015

PONGAL – Harvest Festival of South India

Pongal celebration is commended in India, especially in Tamilnadu. Pongal signifies "spilling over" in tamil. "Thai piranthal vazhi pirakkum' – is a celebrated saying of tamilians. Thai is the tamil month that comes after the harvesting period , when pongal is praised. Pongal is a celebration celebrated on the first day of thai, by the tamilians, particularly by the ranchers after the harvest period. For an agriculturist, each reaping period is imperative in his lifetime. It is a celebration of praising the harvest and subsequently otherwise called the harvest celebration.

Each harvesting finishes effectively with the assistance of cattle, sun and the downpour. An agriculturist praises the harvest celebration by demonstrating his appreciation to the nature.

The harvest celebration is praised focused around the sunlight based schedule where the initial six months is said to be uttarayanam and the following six months dakshinayanam. The sun voyaging towards northeast is uttarayanam and voyaging towards southeast is dakshinayanam. The thai pongal starts at the uttarayanam.

How is Pongal Celebrated ?

Pongal is commended as a four days celebration specifically Bhogi, Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal. Lets perceive how the harvest celebration is praised on these four days.

Bhogi Pongal - The Festival of Bonfire


Bhogi is commended before the day of pongal. (i.e.,) the final day of the month marghazhi. On this day, houses are cleaned and enriched. A bonfire is lighted and all horticultural, household and different squanders and other undesirable things are smoldered in the campfire for transformation. The youngsters play around this blaze.

Thai Pongal 
 
This is the fundamental day of all the four days of the pongal festival. On this day, pongal paanai is adorned with the new reaped turmeric and formula pongal is readied with the gathered rice (puthunelarisi). After then , Lord Surya is loved alongside the pongal and sugarcane. The Peacock dance (mayillattam) is one of the dance where girls will be dreessed as peacock's and dance on thai thirunaal.

Mattu Pongal


The third day is mattu pongal which is praised to thank the cows and other ranch creatures included in the agribusiness. They are rinsed and venerated by giving nourishment to them. A renowned bull celebration called as jallikattu is led in different regions of tamilnadu on this promising day. 
 

Kanum Pongal :

The last day of the pongal celebration is kaanum pongal otherwise called thiruvalluvar day. On this day, individuals visit other relatives home. They will go to sanctuary and pass on their gratitude to master. Likewise, ladies appeal to God for the prosperity of their brothers.