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Pongal (festival)

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Pongal
Pongal dish cooked for the occasion of the festival
Observed byPrimarilyTamil HindusinIndia,Sri Lanka,Malaysia,United States,Indonesia,Mauritius,Singapore,UK,South Africa,Canada,Australia,Gulf countries
TypeHindu[1][2]
SignificanceHarvest festival
CelebrationsPongal (dish),decorations, home coming, prayers, processions, gift giving[3]
DateFirst day of the 10th month of Thai (Tamil calendar)
2024 dateMonday, 15 January[4]
Frequencyannual
Related toMakar Sankranti,Magh Bihu,Uttarayana,Maghi,Maghe Sankranti,Shakrain
Tamilis written in a non-Latin script. Tamil text used in this article is transliterated into the Latin script according to theISO 15919standard.

Pongal(/ˈθaɪˈpoʊŋʌl/), also referred to asThai Pongal,is a multi-dayHinduharvest festivalcelebrated byTamils.It is observed in the month of Thai according to theTamil solar calendarand usually falls on 14 or 15 January. It is dedicated toSurya(thesolar deityinHinduism) and corresponds toMakar Sankranti,the Hindu observance celebrated under many regional names throughout theIndian subcontinent.The festival is celebrated over three or four days withBhogi,Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kanum Pongal, observed on consecutive days.

According to tradition, the festival marks the end ofwinter solstice,and the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards calledUttarayanawhen the sun entersCapricorn.The festival is named after the ceremonial "Pongal", which means "to boil, overflow" and refers to the traditionaldishprepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk withjaggery.Mattu Pongal is meant for celebration ofcattlewhen the cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colors, garlands of flowers placed around their necks and processions. It is traditionally an occasion for decorating rice-powder basedkolamartworks, offering prayers in the home, temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts to renew social bonds of solidarity.

Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people inTamil Naduand other parts ofSouth India.It is also a major Tamil festival inSri Lankaand observed by the Tamil diaspora worldwide.

Etymology

Thai Pongalis a portmanteau of two words:Thai(Tamil: 'தை') referring to the tenth month of theTamil calendarandPongal(frompongu) meaning "boiling over" or "overflow." Pongal also refers to a sweetdishofriceboiled inmilkandjaggerythat is ritually prepared and consumed on the day.[6]

History

The principal theme of Pongal is thanking the sun godSurya,the forces of nature, and thefarm animalsandpeople who support agriculture.The festival is mentioned in an inscription in theViraraghava templeattributed to theCholakingKulottunga I(1070–1122 CE), which describes a grant of land to the temple for celebrating the annual Pongal festivities.[7]The 9th-centuryShaivaBhaktitextTiruvempavaibyManikkavacakarvividly mentions the festival.[7]It appears inTamil textsand inscriptions with variant spellings such asponakam,tiruponakam,andponkal.[8]Temple inscriptions from the Chola period to theVijayanagaraperiod detail recipes similar to pongal recipes of the modern era with variations in seasonings and relative amounts of the ingredients.[8]The termsponakam,ponkal,and its prefixed variants might also indicate the festivepongal dishas aprasadam(religious offering) which were given as a part of the meals served by free community kitchens inSouth IndianHindu temples either as festival food or to pilgrims every day.[8]

Observance and traditions

Offering from harvest to Gods during Pongal

Pongal is a multi-dayHinduharvest festivalcelebrated byTamils.[1][9][6]It is observed in the month of Thai according to theTamil solar calendarand usually falls on 14 or 15 January and hence is also referred to as Thai Pongal.[3]It is dedicated to theSurya,the Sun God and corresponds toMakar Sankranti,the harvest festival under many regional names celebrated throughout India.[10][11][12]According to tradition, the festival marks the end ofwinter solstice,and the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards when the sun enters theCapricorn,also called asUttarayana.[1]The festival is observed for three or four days inTamil Nadu,but for one or two days in urban locations and by the Tamil diaspora outside South Asia.[1][9]The three days of the Pongal festival are calledBhogi Pongal,Surya Pongal,andMattu Pongal.[13]Some Tamils celebrate a fourth day of Pongal known asKanum Pongal.[9]It 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.[3][14]

Cuisine

Main article:Pongal (dish)
Pongalmade from rice with milk and jaggery

The festival is named after the "Pongal" dish, which forms the festival's most significant practice. The dish is prepared by boiling freshly harvestedriceincow milkand rawcane sugar.[1]Additional ingredients such ascoconutandgheealong with spices such ascardamom,raisinsandcashewsare also used.[13][8]The cooking is done in aclay potthat 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.[15][8]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.[16]Temples and communities organize free kitchen prepared by volunteers to all those who gather.[17][3]Portions of the sweet pongal dish (Sakkarai Pongal) are distributed as theprasadamin temples.[13]

The dish and the process of its preparation is a part of the symbolism, both conceptually and materially.[6][14]It celebrates the harvest and the cooking symbolizes the transformation of the gift ofagricultureinto nourishment for the gods and the community on a day that when the sun god is believed to start the journey north.[6]The dish "boiling over" is believed to symbolically mark the blessing byParvati.[15]It is the ritual dish, along with many other courses prepared from seasonal foods for the gathering.

Kolam

A traditionalkolamdecoration during Pongal

The festival is marked with colorfulkolamartwork. Kolam is a form of traditional decorative art that is drawn by usingrice flouroften along with natural or synthetic color powders.[18]It includes geometrical line drawings composed of straight lines, curves and loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots.[19]

Bhogi

The first day of the Pongal festival is calledBhogi,which marks the last day of the Tamil monthMarghazhi.[7]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.[20]Houses are cleaned, painted and decorated to give a festive look.[13]Prayers are offered toIndra,the king of Gods with thanks and hopes for plentiful rains in the year ahead.[13]Kaappu kattu is a tradition of tying leaves ofAzadirachta indica,Senna auriculataandAerva lanatain the roofs of houses and residential areas that is widely practiced in theKongu Naduregion.[21][22]Bhogi is observed on the same day in the states of Tamil Nadu,Karnataka,Andhra PradeshandTelangana.[23]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.[24]

Surya Pongal

A Kolam artwork showing a Pongal pot

Surya Pongal or Thai Pongal is the second and main festive day, and is dedicated to the sun god Surya.[13][20]It is the first day of the Tamil calendar monthThaiand coincides with Makara Sankranti, a winter harvest festival celebrated in other parts of India. The day marks the start of the Uttarayana, when the sun enters the tenth house of the zodiac.[9]The day is celebrated with family and friends with new clothes worn and the preparation of the traditional pongal dish in an earthen pot.[9]The pot is typically decorated by tying a turmeric plant or flower garland and placed in the sun along withsugarcanestalks.[9]The homes are decorated with banana and mango leaves, decorative florals and kolams.[9]

Relatives and friends are invited and when the pongal starts to boil and overflow out of the vessel, participants blow aconchor make sounds while shouting "Pongalo Pongal" ( "may this rice boil over" ).[25]In rural areas, people sing traditional songs while the pongal dish is cooking.[6]The Pongal dish is first offered to Surya andGanesha,and then shared with the gathered friends and family.[26]People traditionally offer prayers to the sun in the open and then proceed to eat their meal.[27]A community Pongal is an event where families gather at a public place for a ceremonial worship.[28][29]

Mattu Pongal

A kolam depicting a cow on Mattu Pongal

Mattu Pongal ( "Madu" meaning cow) is the third day of the festival meant for the celebration ofcattle.[6]The cattle is regarded as sources of wealth as it is a means fordairy productsandfertilizers,used fortransportationand agriculture.[9][27]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.[30]Some decorate their cows withturmericwater and applyshikakaiandkumkumato 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.[27]

Jallikattu,a traditional bull taming event held during Pongal

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.[27]Other events during Pongal include community sports and games such asJallikattuor bull fighting.[27]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.[31]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, particularlycrowand pray for their brothers' well being.[9][27]Brothers pay special tribute to their married sisters by giving gifts as affirmation of their filial love.[13]

Kanum Pongal

Kanum Pongal or Kanu Pongal is the fourth day of the festival and marks the end of Pongal festivities for the year.[32]The wordkanumin 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.[13][33]Young people visit elders to pay respects and seek blessings, with elders giving gifts to the visiting children.[13][34]

Contemporary practices

Pongal preparation in a community gathering

Pongal festival maybe viewed more as a "social festival" since the contemporary celebrations do not necessarily link it to temple rituals.[9]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 asUri Adithal( "breaking a hanging mud pot while blindfolded" ),PallanguḻiandKabbadi,as well as group dance and music performances in major cities and towns.[35][36]

Pongala

Pongala is celebrated inKerala,a state that shares historic cultural overlap with Tamils throughChera dynastyaccording toSangam literature.The rituals including the cooking of pongal dish, social visits, and the reverence for cattle is observed by some communities and is observed on the same day as Tamil Pongal.[37]The celebrations include dance (Kathakali) and musical performances by boys and girls, as well as major processions featuring the temple goddess.[38]In theAttukal Bhagavati TemplenearThiruvanathapuram,Attukal Pongalais celebrated in the month of February–March which attract large crowds.[39][40]

Others

In Karnataka, the festival days are similar, except the dish is called "Ellu". Decorations and social visits are also common in many parts of Karnataka.[41]The festivities coincide with Makara Sankranthi,MaghiandBihucelebrated across various parts of India.[42][43][44]

In Sri Lanka, the celebration of Pongal amongSri Lankan Tamilsvaries slightly from the customs and practices followed in India. The Pongal festivities generally last only two days, essentially focused on Thai Pongal day. The custom of cooking Pongal is therefore carried out on the first day, rather than the second as in India, where Thai Pongal is preceded by Bhogi.[45]

Geography

Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people in Tamil Nadu and other parts ofSouth India.[46][47]It is also a major Tamil festival inSri Lanka.[48]It is observed by the Tamil diaspora worldwide,[49][50]including those inMalaysia,[51]Mauritius,[52]South Africa,[53]Singapore,[54]United States,[55]United Kingdom,[56]Canada,[57]and theGulf countries.[58]In 2017, DelegateDavid Bulovaintroduced a joint resolution HJ573 in theVirginia House of Delegatesto designate January 14 of each year as Pongal Day.[55]

See also

References

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