This year, Pongal will be celebrated from January 14 to January 17.
Pongal, the four-day harvest festival, is widely celebrated in Tamil Nadu and a few parts of Kerala. It marks the beginning of Uttarayan, dedicated to the Sun God or Surya Dev. Pongal means ‘spilling over’, the festival derives its name from the tradition of boiling rice, milk, and jaggery in a pot till it starts overflowing. This year, Pongal will be celebrated from January 14 to January 17.
Significance
The festival is all about letting the past go and welcoming new things in life.
The first day of the festival is Bogi Pandigai, people decorate their houses and offices. The second day is the main day of Pongal, which is celebrated as Thai Pongal. On this day, people perform special puja to seek the blessings of the Sun God. Traditionally, people spill milk while preparing Pongal as it is considered a sign of prosperity.
The third day of Pongal is called Mattu Pongal. On this day, farmers decorate their cattle and worship them. The fourth and final day of Pongal is Kaanum Pongal when people gather for a celebration with a traditional meal.
Pongal 2022: Days and dates
January 14 (Friday): Bhogi Pandigai
January 15 (Saturday): Thai Pongal or Surya Pongal
January 16 (Sunday): Mattu Pongal
January 17 (Monday): Kaanum Pongal
Households wear a festive look, people also dress up in new clothes. Traditional delicacies are an integral part of the festivities. Special food items like medu vada, avial, rasam, beetroot pachadi, sakkarai pongal and moong dal payasam are also prepared during the four days of Pongal.
History: There are two stories about Pongal
1) Once, Lord Shiva asked his bull, Basava, to travel the world in order to tell everyone to eat once a month, take bath and oil massage every day. However, Basava got confused and communicated exactly the opposite. After this, Lord Shiva got angry and asked the bull to go into exile, was made to help people while ploughing. This is the reason why cattle are linked with the harvest.
2) Lord Krishna told Gokul’s people to not worship Lord Indra because of his arrogant nature as he was filled with pride. This angered Lord Shiva who caused thunderstorms and flooding. Lord Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan on his little finger in order to protect people, to provide shelter. After this Indra Dev realised his mistake and asked for forgiveness.
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