Pongal (festival)
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First day of the tenth month of Thai (Thai Pongal) and next one or two days (Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal)|January 1|January 2|January 3|January 4|January 5|January 6|January 7|January 8|January 9|January 10|January 11|January 12|January 13|January 14|January 15|January 16|January 17|January 18|January 19|January 20|January 21|January 22|January 23|January 24|January 25|January 26|January 27|January 28|January 29|January 30|January 31|February 1|February 2|February 3|February 4|February 5|February 6|February 7|February 8|February 9|February 10|February 11|February 12|February 13|February 14|February 15|February 16|February 17|February 18|February 19|February 20|February 21|February 22|February 23|February 24|February 25|February 26|February 27|February 28|February 29|February 30|February 31|March 1|March 2|March 3|March 4|March 5|March 6|March 7|March 8|March 9|March 10|March 11|March 12|March 13|March 14|March 15|March 16|March 17|March 18|March 19|March 20|March 21|March 22|March 23|March 24|March 25|March 26|March 27|March 28|March 29|March 30|March 31|April 1|April 2|April 3|April 4|April 5|April 6|April 7|April 8|April 9|April 10|April 11|April 12|April 13|April 14|April 15|April 16|April 17|April 18|April 19|April 20|April 21|April 22|April 23|April 24|April 25|April 26|April 27|April 28|April 29|April 30|April 31|May 1|May 2|May 3|May 4|May 5|May 6|May 7|May 8|May 9|May 10|May 11|May 12|May 13|May 14|May 15|May 16|May 17|May 18|May 19|May 20|May 21|May 22|May 23|May 24|May 25|May 26|May 27|May 28|May 29|May 30|May 31|June 1|June 2|June 3|June 4|June 5|June 6|June 7|June 8|June 9|June 10|June 11|June 12|June 13|June 14|June 15|June 16|June 17|June 18|June 19|June 20|June 21|June 22|June 23|June 24|June 25|June 26|June 27|June 28|June 29|June 30|June 31|July 1|July 2|July 3|July 4|July 5|July 6|July 7|July 8|July 9|July 10|July 11|July 12|July 13|July 14|July 15|July 16|July 17|July 18|July 19|July 20|July 21|July 22|July 23|July 24|July 25|July 26|July 27|July 28|July 29|July 30|July 31|August 1|August 2|August 3|August 4|August 5|August 6|August 7|August 8|August 9|August 10|August 11|August 12|August 13|August 14|August 15|August 16|August 17|August 18|August 19|August 20|August 21|August 22|August 23|August 24|August 25|August 26|August 27|August 28|August 29|August 30|August 31|September 1|September 2|September 3|September 4|September 5|September 6|September 7|September 8|September 9|September 10|September 11|September 12|September 13|September 14|September 15|September 16|September 17|September 18|September 19|September 20|September 21|September 22|September 23|September 24|September 25|September 26|September 27|September 28|September 29|September 30|September 31|October 1|October 2|October 3|October 4|October 5|October 6|October 7|October 8|October 9|October 10|October 11|October 12|October 13|October 14|October 15|October 16|October 17|October 18|October 19|October 20|October 21|October 22|October 23|October 24|October 25|October 26|October 27|October 28|October 29|October 30|October 31|November 1|November 2|November 3|November 4|November 5|November 6|November 7|November 8|November 9|November 10|November 11|November 12|November 13|November 14|November 15|November 16|November 17|November 18|November 19|November 20|November 21|November 22|November 23|November 24|November 25|November 26|November 27|November 28|November 29|November 30|November 31|December 1|December 2|December 3|December 4|December 5|December 6|December 7|December 8|December 9|December 10|December 11|December 12|December 13|December 14|December 15|December 16|December 17|December 18|December 19|December 20|December 21|December 22|December 23|December 24|December 25|December 26|December 27|December 28|December 29|December 30|December 31=|{{#switch:Last day of the ninth Tamil calendar month of Margazhi (Bhogi)
First day of the tenth month of Thai (Thai Pongal) and next one or two days (Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal)|1 January|2 January|3 January|4 January|5 January|6 January|7 January|8 January|9 January|10 January|11 January|12 January|13 January|14 January|15 January|16 January|17 January|18 January|19 January|20 January|21 January|22 January|23 January|24 January|25 January|26 January|27 January|28 January|29 January|30 January|31 January|1 February|2 February|3 February|4 February|5 February|6 February|7 February|8 February|9 February|10 February|11 February|12 February|13 February|14 February|15 February|16 February|17 February|18 February|19 February|20 February|21 February|22 February|23 February|24 February|25 February|26 February|27 February|28 February|29 February|30 February|31 February|1 March|2 March|3 March|4 March|5 March|6 March|7 March|8 March|9 March|10 March|11 March|12 March|13 March|14 March|15 March|16 March|17 March|18 March|19 March|20 March|21 March|22 March|23 March|24 March|25 March|26 March|27 March|28 March|29 March|30 March|31 March|1 April|2 April|3 April|4 April|5 April|6 April|7 April|8 April|9 April|10 April|11 April|12 April|13 April|14 April|15 April|16 April|17 April|18 April|19 April|20 April|21 April|22 April|23 April|24 April|25 April|26 April|27 April|28 April|29 April|30 April|31 April|1 May|2 May|3 May|4 May|5 May|6 May|7 May|8 May|9 May|10 May|11 May|12 May|13 May|14 May|15 May|16 May|17 May|18 May|19 May|20 May|21 May|22 May|23 May|24 May|25 May|26 May|27 May|28 May|29 May|30 May|31 May|1 June|2 June|3 June|4 June|5 June|6 June|7 June|8 June|9 June|10 June|11 June|12 June|13 June|14 June|15 June|16 June|17 June|18 June|19 June|20 June|21 June|22 June|23 June|24 June|25 June|26 June|27 June|28 June|29 June|30 June|31 June|1 July|2 July|3 July|4 July|5 July|6 July|7 July|8 July|9 July|10 July|11 July|12 July|13 July|14 July|15 July|16 July|17 July|18 July|19 July|20 July|21 July|22 July|23 July|24 July|25 July|26 July|27 July|28 July|29 July|30 July|31 July|1 August|2 August|3 August|4 August|5 August|6 August|7 August|8 August|9 August|10 August|11 August|12 August|13 August|14 August|15 August|16 August|17 August|18 August|19 August|20 August|21 August|22 August|23 August|24 August|25 August|26 August|27 August|28 August|29 August|30 August|31 August|1 September|2 September|3 September|4 September|5 September|6 September|7 September|8 September|9 September|10 September|11 September|12 September|13 September|14 September|15 September|16 September|17 September|18 September|19 September|20 September|21 September|22 September|23 September|24 September|25 September|26 September|27 September|28 September|29 September|30 September|31 September|1 October|2 October|3 October|4 October|5 October|6 October|7 October|8 October|9 October|10 October|11 October|12 October|13 October|14 October|15 October|16 October|17 October|18 October|19 October|20 October|21 October|22 October|23 October|24 October|25 October|26 October|27 October|28 October|29 October|30 October|31 October|1 November|2 November|3 November|4 November|5 November|6 November|7 November|8 November|9 November|10 November|11 November|12 November|13 November|14 November|15 November|16 November|17 November|18 November|19 November|20 November|21 November|22 November|23 November|24 November|25 November|26 November|27 November|28 November|29 November|30 November|31 November|1 December|2 December|3 December|4 December|5 December|6 December|7 December|8 December|9 December|10 December|11 December|12 December|13 December|14 December|15 December|16 December|17 December|18 December|19 December|20 December|21 December|22 December|23 December|24 December|25 December|26 December|27 December|28 December|29 December|30 December|31 December=|}}}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox holiday with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| alt | begins | caption | celebrations | date | date2007 | date2008 | date2009 | date2010 | date2011 | date2012 | date2013 | date2014 | date2015 | date2016 | date2017 | date2018 | date2019 | date2020 | date2021 | date2022 | date2023 | date2024 | date2025 | date2026 | date2026 | date2027 | date2028 | date2029 | date2030 | duration | ends | firsttime | frequency | holiday_name | image | image_size | imagesize | lasttime | litcolor | longtype | mdy | month | nickname | observances | observedby | official_name | relatedto | scheduling | significance | startedby | type | week_ordinal | weekday | module}}
Template:Tamil transliteration Pongal is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Tamils. The festival is celebrated over three or four days, which are named Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal, beginning on the last day of the Tamil calendar month of Margazhi, and observed on consecutive days. Thai Pongal is observed on the first day of the Tamil calendar month of Thai and usually falls on 14 or 15 January in the Gregorian calendar.
According to tradition, the festival marks the end of winter solstice, and the start of the Sun's six-month-long journey northwards called Uttarayana when the Sun enters Capricorn. It is dedicated to the solar deity Surya and corresponds to Makar Sankranti, the Hindu observance celebrated under various regional names across the Indian subcontinent.
The festival is named after the ceremonial "Pongal", which means "boiling over" or "overflow" in Tamil language and refers to the traditional dish prepared by boiling rice with milk and jaggery. Mattu Pongal is meant for celebration of cattle, and the cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colors with garlands of flowers placed around their necks and processions on the day. The festival is traditionally an occasion for decorating with rice-powder based kolam artworks, offering prayers at home, visiting temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts to renew social bonds of solidarity.
Pongal is also referred to as Tamizhar thirunal ("the festival of Tamil people") and is one of the major festivals celebrated by the Tamil people across various religions. It is observed by the Tamil diaspora in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, parts of South India, Sri Lanka and other parts of the world with significant Tamil population.
Etymology
Thai Pongal is a combination of two Tamil language words: Thai (Tamil: 'தை') referring to the tenth month of the Tamil calendar and Pongal (from pongu) meaning "boiling over" or "overflow." Pongal also refers to a sweet dish of rice boiled with milk and jaggery that is ritually prepared and consumed on the day.<ref name="Robinson"/> It is also referred to as Tamizhar thirunal ("the festival of Tamil people").<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
History
The principal theme of Pongal is thanking the Sun god Surya, the forces of nature, and the farm animals and people who support agriculture. The festival is mentioned in an inscription found at the Veeraraghava Swamy Temple. Attributed to the Chola king Kulottunga I (1070–1122 CE), the inscription describes a grant of land to the temple for celebrating the annual Pongal festivities.<ref name="Kasturi">Template:Cite book</ref> The ninth century Shaiva Bhakti text Tiruvempavai by Manikkavacakar details the festival.<ref name="Kasturi"/> It appears in Tamil texts and inscriptions with variant spellings such as ponakam, tiruponakam, and ponkal. Temple inscriptions from the Chola and Vijayanagara periods detail recipes similar to pongal recipes of the modern era with variations in seasonings and relative amounts of the ingredients. The terms ponakam, ponkal and its prefixed variants might also indicate the festive pongal dish as a prasadam (religious offering) which were given as a part of the meals served by free community kitchens in South Indian Hindu temples either as festival food or to pilgrims every day.<ref name="Gutierrez">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Observance
Pongal is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Tamils.<ref name="Brittanica"/><ref name="Robinson">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Ramaswamy"/> The three days of the Pongal festival are called Bhogi, Thai Pongal, and Mattu Pongal.<ref name="Mathews">Template:Cite book</ref> Some Tamils celebrate a fourth day of Pongal known as Kanum Pongal.<ref name="Ramaswamy"/> While the festival is observed for three or four days in Tamil Nadu, but for one or two days in urban locations and by the Tamil diaspora outside South Asia.<ref name="Brittanica"/><ref name="Ramaswamy">Template:Cite book</ref>
Bhogi
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Bhogi marks the first day of the Pongal festivities and is celebrated on the last day of the Tamil calendar month Marghazhi.<ref name="Kasturi"/> On this day people discard old belongings and celebrate new possessions. The people assemble and light a bonfire in order to burn the heaps of discards.<ref name="Maithily"/> Houses are cleaned, painted and decorated to give a festive look.<ref name="Mathews"/> Prayers are offered to Indra, the king of Gods with thanks and hopes for plentiful rains in the year ahead.<ref name="Mathews"/> Kaappu kattu is a tradition of tying leaves of Azadirachta indica, Senna auriculata and Aerva lanata in the roofs of houses and residential areas that is widely practiced in the Kongu Nadu region.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bhogi is observed on the same day in the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Fruits of the harvest are collected along with flowers of the season and a mixture of treats along with money is given to children, who then separate and collect the money and sweet fruits.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Thai Pongal
Thai Pongal is the main festive day, celebrated on the next day of Bhogi.<ref name="Mathews"/><ref name="Maithily">Template:Cite book</ref> It is observed on the first day of the Tamil calendar month of Thai, and usually falls on 14 or 15 January as per the Gregorian calendar.<ref name="Beteille">Template:Cite journal</ref> It is dedicated to the Sun deity Surya and corresponds to Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival under various regional names celebrated throughout India.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Melton">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Hamilton">Template:Cite book</ref> According to tradition, the festival marks the end of winter solstice, and the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards when the sun enters the Capricorn, also called as Uttarayana.<ref name="Brittanica"/>
Dedicated to Surya, it is celebrated with family and friends with new clothes worn and the preparation of the traditional pongal dish in an earthen pot.<ref name="Ramaswamy"/> The pot is typically decorated by tying a turmeric plant or flower garland and placed in the sun along with sugarcane stalks.<ref name="Ramaswamy"/> The homes are decorated with banana and mango leaves, decorative florals and kolams.<ref name="Ramaswamy"/> Relatives and friends are invited and when the pongal starts to boil and overflow out of the vessel, participants blow a conch or make sounds while shouting "Pongalo Pongal" ("may this rice boil over").<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In rural areas, people sing traditional songs while the pongal dish is cooking.<ref name="Robinson"/> The Pongal dish is first offered to Surya and Ganesha, and then shared with the gathered friends and family.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> People traditionally offer prayers to the sun in the open and then proceed to eat their meal.<ref name="Gough">Template:Cite book</ref> A community Pongal is an event where families gather at a public place for a ceremonial worship.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mattu Pongal
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Mattu Pongal ("Madu" meaning cow in Tamil) is the third day of the festival meant for the celebration of cattle.<ref name="Robinson"/> The cattle is regarded as sources of wealth as it is a means for dairy products and fertilizers, used for transportation and agriculture.<ref name="Ramaswamy"/><ref name="Gough"/> The cattle are bathed, their horns are polished and painted in bright colors with garlands of flowers placed around their necks and taken for processions.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Some decorate their cows with turmeric water and apply shikakai and kumkuma to their foreheads. The cattle are fed sweets including pongal, jaggery, honey, banana and other fruits. People may prostrate before them with words of thanks for the help with the harvest.<ref name="Gough"/>
Kanum Pongal
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Kanum Pongal or Kanu Pongal is the fourth day of the festival and marks the end of Pongal festivities for the year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The word kanum in the context means "to visit" and families hold reunions on this day. Communities organize social events to strengthen mutual bonds and consume food and sugarcane during social gatherings.<ref name="Mathews"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Young people visit elders to pay respects and seek blessings, with elders giving gifts to the visiting children.<ref name="Mathews"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Traditions and practices
Pongal is traditionally an occasion for decorating, offering prayers in the home, temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts to renew social bonds of solidarity.<ref name="Beteille"/><ref name="Good"/> It is viewed more as a "social festival" since the contemporary celebrations do not necessarily link it to temple rituals.<ref name="Ramaswamy"/> Temples and cultural centers organize the ritual cooking of Pongal dish, along with fairs (Pongal mela) with handicrafts, crafts, pottery, sarees, ethnic jewelry for sale. These sites hold traditional community sports such as Uri Adithal ("breaking a hanging mud pot while blindfolded"), Pallanguzhi and Kabbadi, as well as group dance and music performances in major cities and towns.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The festival is marked with colorful kolam artwork. Kolam is a form of traditional decorative art that is drawn by using rice flour often along with natural or synthetic color powders.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It includes geometrical line drawings composed of straight lines, curves and loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Cuisine
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The festival is named after the "Pongal" dish, which forms the festival's most significant practice. The dish is prepared by boiling freshly harvested rice in cow milk and raw cane sugar.<ref name="Brittanica"/> Additional ingredients such as coconut and ghee along with spices such as cardamom, raisins and cashews are also used.<ref name="Gutierrez"/><ref name="Mathews"/> The cooking is done in a clay pot that is often garlanded with leaves or flowers, sometimes tied with a piece of turmeric root. It is either cooked at home, or in community gatherings such as in temples or village open spaces.<ref name="Gutierrez"/><ref name="Gaia"/> The cooking is done in sunlight, usually in a porch or courtyard and the dish is dedicated to the Sun god, Surya. After it is traditionally offered to the gods and goddesses first, followed sometimes by cows, then to friends and family gathered.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Temples and communities organize free kitchen prepared by volunteers to all those who gather.<ref name="Beteille"/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Portions of the sweet pongal dish (Sakkarai Pongal) are distributed as the prasadam in temples.<ref name="Mathews"/>
The dish and the process of its preparation is a part of the symbolism, both conceptually and materially.<ref name="Robinson"/><ref name="Good">Template:Cite journal</ref> It celebrates the harvest and the cooking symbolizes the transformation of the gift of agriculture into nourishment for the gods and the community on a day that when the sun god is believed to start the journey north.<ref name="Robinson"/> The dish "boiling over" is believed to symbolically mark the blessing by Parvati.<ref name="Gaia">Template:Cite book</ref> It is the ritual dish, along with many other courses prepared from seasonal foods for the gathering.
Jallikattu
The day marks a ritual visit to nearby temples where communities hold processions by parading icons from the sanctum of the temple in wooden chariots, drama-dance performances encouraging social gatherings and renewal of community bonds.<ref name="Gough"/> Other events during Pongal include community sports and games such as Jallikattu or bull fighting.<ref name="Gough"/> Jallikattu is a traditional event held during the period attracting huge crowds in which a bull is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kanu Pidi is a tradition observed on Mattu Pongal by women and young girls where they place a leaf of turmeric plant outside their home, and feed pongal dish and food to the birds, particularly crow and pray for their brothers' well being.<ref name="Ramaswamy"/><ref name="Gough"/> Brothers pay special tribute to their married sisters by giving gifts as affirmation of their filial love.<ref name="Mathews"/>
Contemporary practices
Pongal is observed by Tamil community in Kerala, and it is a local holiday in Idukki, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, and Wayanad districts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In Attukal Temple near Thiruvanathapuram, Attukal Pongala is celebrated in the month of February–March.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> This similarly named celebration of Pongala includes dance (Kathakali) and musical performances, and processions featuring the temple goddess.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In Karnataka, the festival is celebrated over several days similar to Pongal, and the dish prepared is called "ellu". Decorations and social visits are common during the festivities.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Pongal festivities coincide with Makara Sankranthi, Maghi and Bihu celebrated across various parts of India.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, Pongal is celebrated by the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Pongal festivities last two days, essentially focused on Thai Pongal day. The custom of cooking Pukkai, a dish similar to Pongal, and made of red rice, mung beans and milk, is carried out on the first day.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Geography
Pongal is one of the major festivals celebrated by Tamil people across various religions in Tamil Nadu.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is also celebrated in other parts of South India,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and is a major Tamil festival in Sri Lanka.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It is observed by the Tamil diaspora worldwide,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> including those in Malaysia,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mauritius,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> South Africa,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Singapore,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> United States,<ref name="USA"/> United Kingdom,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Canada,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Gulf countries.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2017, Delegate David Bulova introduced a joint resolution HJ573 in the Virginia House of Delegates to designate January 14 of each year as Pongal Day.<ref name="USA">Template:Cite news</ref>
See also
References
External links
- Infobox holiday fixed day
- Infobox holiday fixed day (2)
- Infobox holiday (other)
- Pages with broken file links
- Tamil festivals
- January observances
- Food and drink festivals in India
- Festivals in Tamil Nadu
- Festivals in India
- Hindu festivals
- Harvest festivals
- Harvest festivals in India
- Hindu festivals in India
- Winter solstice