Pongal(पोंगल - பொங்கல்) is a major Harvest festival among Tamil Hindus. It is celebrated on 14-15 January every year. Traditionally, it is a festival dedicated to prosperity in which rain, sunshine and agricultural cattle are worshiped to bring prosperity.
As like Makar Sankranti festival in North India and Lohri in Punjab, 'Pongal' is celebrated in South India. This festival is a mixed form of Govardhan Puja, Diwali and Makar Sankranti. Pongal is especially a festival of farmers.
When does this festival come?
It's a four days festival celebrated every year around Makar Sankranti. But the main festival is celebrated in the month of Pausha. The festival of Pongal i.e. Khichdi is celebrated in the auspicious time of the sun's Uttarayan.
Meaning of Pongal
On the first Amavasya of Pongal, people pledge to renounce bad practices and accept good things. This work is called 'Pohi' and means 'to go.' Pongal in Tamil means boom or viplav. The next day of Pohi, that is Pratipada, like Diwali, Pongal is popular.
Why do you celebrate the Pongal festival?
After the paddy harvest in South India, people celebrate the festival of Pongal to express their happiness and pray to God for the upcoming harvest. To bring prosperity, rain, sun, Indradev and agricultural cattle are worshiped. Kheer is specially prepared on this day. On this day sweet and spicy Pongal dishes are prepared. They prepare food with rice, milk, ghee, sugar and offer it to the Sun God. The cow's milk boom (उफान) is given great importance on this festival. The reason for this is that just as the milk spurt is pure and auspicious, similarly the mind of every living being should be bright with pure samskaras. That is why milk is boiled in new utensils.
Mythology behind Pongal Celebration?
According to the legend, Shiva tells his bull Vasav to go on earth and tell him to tell humans to bathe with oil every day and eat only one day in a month. Vasav gives the opposite message on earth. Enraged by this, Shiva curses that from today onwards, you will cooperate in the agriculture of humans on the earth.
Another story is related to Indra and Krishna. After lifting Govardhan Parvat, the Guelas re-settle their city and re-cultivate crops with oxen. It is also believed that in ancient times, this festival was celebrated as the Dravida Shasya Utsav.
| Related Name | तमिळ - பொங்கல் |
| Begins Tithi | Paush / Magha |
| Reason | Sun Shifted from Dhanu to Makar Rashi. |
| Celebrations | Daan, Dakshina, Mela |
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