Pongal: The Four Days Festival

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Pongal is a very important Hindu festival which is celebrated with great joy in Tamil Nadu. Also known as the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal is a four day long festival for thanking the nature. Pongal falls in the harvesting month of January-February (season when rice, sugarcane, other cereals are harvested). Typically, Pongal falls on 14-15 January and apart from thanking the nature, it is also a month of weddings.

The four days of the Tamil harvest festival commences with Bhagi festival and goes till Knau or Kannum Pongal day . Now, lets brief out the four days of the Pongal festival.

First day: On the first day of Pongal, people pay homage to the supreme ruler or lord of weather (thunder, rain and storm), Lord Indra. Tamilians worship Lord Indra and thank him for the abundance of harvest that happened due to rain and air. Devotees pray for prosperity of the land for the next harvest. Even Bhogi Mantalu is observed on the first day of Pongal. Waste household items are burned in a bonfire (made with cow dung cakes and wood).

Second day: On the second day, the Puja is performed. Rice is boiled in a pot of milk. This is done outdoors in an earthenware pot. A turmeric plant is tied up around the pot. The place is decorated with Kolam (the traditional white lime powder used outside the house every morning after bathing). Rice, two sticks of sugarcane, bananas and coconut are then offered to Lord Sun. After worshiping the Sun, the utensils that were used to prepare the offerings are disposed out of the house

Third day: Commonly known as Mattu Pongal, it is the day for cows. The cows are decorated with tingling bells (tied around the neck), flower garlands and colourful beads and then worshiped. The cows are offered the pongal and then taken to nearby areas. It is believed that Lord Shiva once asked his bull (Basava, ) to go to the earth and ask the mortals to eat once in a month and have an oil massage followed by bath regularly. But, Basava, said that you should eat every day and bath once in a month. Lord Shiva cursed Basava and banished him to live on earth forever. Basava would plough the fields and help the farmers. After offering Pongal, women perform Aarti to ward off evil eyes.

Fourth day: This last day is known as Knau, Karinaal or Kannum Pongal day. On this day, people meet their relatives and friends. People gift each other, especially workers and farmers are gifted and appreciated for their hard work.

These are the four days long celebrations of the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal.