PONGAL
Pongal, the harvest festival of South India, is
celebrated for four days at the beginning of the month of
Shravan.
Pongal literally means, "boiling over". The Tamil harvest festival is
celebrated with decorated cows, processions and decorative Rangoli
designs in front of the houses. Pongal is a sweet porridge made
from
newly harvested rice and eaten by all, even the animals. Each day
of
this festival has a special significance, however, it is celebrated
more grandly in the villages, while the city folk mainly celebrate on
the second day only. It is widely celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka.
The festival is celebrated for four days. On, the first day,
Bhogi, old clothes and materials are thrown away and burnt, marking the
beginning of a new life. The second day, the Pongal day, is
celebrated
by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil
over - a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal (in
Tamil). People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each
other's
homes, and exchange greetings.
The third day, Mattu Pongal, is dedicated to cattle, and offering
thanks to the cows and buffaloes, as they are used to plough the
lands. Jallikattu, a violent bull taming contest, is performed on
this
day. On the last day, Kanum Pongal, people go out for picnics.
During
the Pongal season, people eat sugar canes and decorate the houses with
Kolam.
Even though Pongal was originally a rural festival for farmers, today
it is celebrated by all.
Pongal
is an ancient festival of people in South India particularly Tamils.
The history of the festival can be traced back to the Sangam Age i.e.
200 B.C. - 300 A.D. Although, Pongal originated as a Dravidian
Harvest
festival and is mentioned in the Sanskrit Puranas, historians identify
the festival with the Thai Un and Thai Niradal which were observances
of the Sangam Age.
As part of the festivities, maidens of the Sangam era observed
'Pavai Nonbu' at the time of Thai Niradal which was a major festival
during the reign of the Pallavas (4th to 8th Century AD). It was
observed during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December-January). During
this festival young girls prayed for rain and prosperity of the
country. Throughout the month, they avoided milk and milk
products.
They would not oil their hair and refrained from using harsh words
while speaking. Women used to bath early in the morning.
They
worshiped a figure of Goddess Katyayani, formed out of wet sand.
They
ended their penance on the first day of the month of Thai
(January-February). The penance was designed to bring abundant
rains
to nurture the rice paddy. These traditions and customs of ancient
times gave rise to today's Pongal celebrations.
All festivals have some interesting legends associated with them.
Pongal, is no exception. Here are the two most popular legends
attached to Pongal celebration –
The raising of Mount Govardhan:
The
first day of the festival Bhogi Pongal connnected with Lord Indra (the
Vedic God of clouds and rains) and with Lord Krishna. In previous
times, people used to worship Lord Indra who was the King of the
Gods.
This honor given to Lord Indra made him full of pride and
arrogance.
He thought himself to be the most powerful of all the beings. When baby
Krishna came to know about this he thought of a plan to teach Indra a
lesson. He persuaded his cowherd buddies to worship Mt.Govardhan rather
than Lord Indra. This angered Indra and he sent forth his clouds to
make non-stop thunder and lightning, heavy rains, and flood the land.
At that time, Lord Krishna lifted the huge Govardhan Parvat on his
little finger to protect the cowherds and cattle from the ravaging
storm of Lord Indra. The rains continued for three days, till at
last
Indra realized his mistake and the superior power of Lord
Krishna. He
humbly begged Krishna's forgiveness. Since then, Krishna
let the
Bhogi celebrations continue to be celebrated in honor of Indra. Thus,
this event gave origin to the celebration of Pongal. The festival also
is known as 'Indran' from this legendary story.
The Banishment of Basava:
Another legend associated with
the festival relates to Lord Shiva. The third day of Pongal known as
Mattu Pongal involves Lord Shiva and his mount, Nandi (Basava), the
bull. According to the legend, Lord Shiva once asked the bull to
go to
the Earth and deliver a message to the people, to have an oil massage
and bath daily and to eat food once a month. Basava mixed up the
message, and told the people to have an oil massage and bath once a
month, and to eat food daily. Enraged Shiva cursed Basava and
said
that due to this mistake there would be sortages of grains on Earth. He
banished the bull to live on Earth forever in the form of cattle, and
help people plough the fields. Thus, Mattu Pongal has an
association
with the cattle.
Pongal Celebrations
The Pongal celebrations are spread over
four days. The day before Pongal is called Bhogi. It is celebrated as a
family festival. On the day of 'Bhogi, people discard their old things
by making a bonfire in front of their houses early in the morning
amidst the beating of drums. On the Pongal day, the womenfolk draw
Rangoli in front of their homes with the caption 'Pongalo Pongal" (Hail
Pongal). The true fervor of the celebrations can be witnessed only in
the village. Newly harvested rice, with a little milk
added, is
boiled in new mud pots during an auspicious time. Sugarcane is kept by
the side of the pots. As soon as the boiling is over, the cooked
rice,
i.e. Pongal, is offered to Surya, the Sun God. Camphor is
lighted,
coconut is broken and God is invoked to bless the family for a run of
good luck. Everyone wears new clothes on that day and exchanges
greetings with friends and relatives. The joy knows no bounds and every
landlord is liberal in giving away a substantial amount of the produce
to the laborers who work for him.
On the third day during 'Maatu Pongal', the cattle are colorfully
decorated with flowers and saffron adorning their foreheads.
Their
horns painted and they are fed sumptuously. Farmers pray for the
good
health of the cattle so that the animals can multiply and bring
prosperity. On the fourth day, sisters visit their brothers and
inquire about their welfare. In this way, it resembles the Raksha
Bandhan festival in the North, and Bhai Tika in Nepal.
Tamil Pongal heralds the hope of a new era of prosperity. It
signifies the end of the harvest season with plenty of hopes pinned on
the entire Tamil month of 'Thai' beginning with the Pongal Day.
There
is a Tamil saying that "Thai Peranthal Vali Perakum", which means that
with the dawn of the month of Thai, there will be peace, happiness,
prosperity, brightness and harmony in the life of everyone. The
month
of Thai (starting on January 14 or 15) is considered very auspicious.
Young people eagerly await Thai, for it's a good month to get married
in. Others too, expectantly wait for the arrival of this month
for
celebrating some other happy occasions.
Pongal is the embodiment of Tamil culture. It is during Pongal
that the best in the nature and the skills of the people are brought
out. Therefore, it is no wonder that people celebrate Pongal to
show
their gratitude to Mother Nature for blessing them with normal
rainfall. Hundreds of temples all over Tamil Nadu arrange for
'Sama
Bandhi Virundu' (community feasts) in which people from all castes and
religions participate.
The valor of the Tamils is best illustrated in events like
'Jallikattu' or 'Manjuvirattu' in which the young men who tame the
fearsome bulls are honored and given prizes. These contests take
place
in towns like Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjavur, and in many
villages throughout Tamil Nadu. Bundles of money are tied to the
horns
of ferocious bulls which the villagers try to retrieve. Everyone
joins
in the community meal, at which the food is made of the freshly
harvested grain.
Their nature of respecting the elderly and the near and dear ones
is revealed on the day of Kaanum Pongal when people visit their elders
to pay their obeisance.
The skills of womenfolk shine during
the festival when they decorate the courtyard of their houses with
Rangoli and prepare delicacies like 'Sarkarai Pongal' for the Pongal
feast.
This decorative pattern is made with rice-flour & is usually drawn
on the floor outside the door. The kolams serve as a symbol of
welcoming guests to the entrance of the house. At the center of
the
Kolam is a lump of cow-dung, which holds a five-petaled pumpkin
flower-a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding
deity.
Pongal brings respite to the people as it marks the end of cold
winter and the advent of spring. From this time onwards the length of
the day increases and that of the night shortens in the Northern
Hemisphere.
Following are the date on which the four days of Pongal will be
celebrated in 2009:
* Bhogi Festival: 14th Janua
* Surya Pongal: 15th January
* Maatu Pongal: 16th January
*Kaanum Pongal: 17th January