Bhogi 2023: Know About Date, Puja Rituals And Significance

Add as a preferred source on Google

With Bhogi festival, the celebrations of Pongal begin, which is the most important celebration in Tamil Nadu. It is a festival celebrated widely in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Bhogi is the time to cleanse by fire our negativities and embrace the new positivity.

It is when we start making genuine attempts to change ourselves and the society, we live in. Hence, we burn all that is old and receive the new in every way on this day. Bhogi Festival being the last day of the Markazhi month precedes the Thai Pongal and is celebrated as Bhogi Festival. Bhogi is the first day of the 4-day Sankranthi festival in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Bhogi Festival 2023: Date

Bhogi festival is celebrated on Jan 14 (Saturday) of this year 2023.

Bhogi Festival 2023: Puja Rituals

People discard stored junk at home. thus, marking a new era to begin for them, Houses are spring-cleaned and whitewashed and decorated with marigold flowers, and mango tendrils. Rice flour paste is used to draw rangolis which they call Kolam and they add pumpkin flowers to these Rangoli designs fresh cow dung is placed on these designs and a clay lamp is lit over them. Food is prepared with rice, sugarcane and turmeric only on this day. They apply Kumkum and sandalwood paste on the instruments they use daily including ploughs and offer them to the earth and the first paddy is cut on this day.

Bhogi Mantalu is a practice where cow dung cake and wood and all old junk are thrown into the fire. All household junk including broomsticks is thrown into the fire along with mantra chants and pradashinas around the fire. Women wear new clothes and ornaments after a holy dip.

Bhogi is succeeded by the Pongal Panai which is a ritual wherein painted clay pots decorated with flowers and mango leaves and horns of the buffaloes are painted and decorated. Get-togethers are a common feature. Bhogi pallu is prepared by keeping freshly harvested rice and fruits and some money which is then given away to children. It is time for some rustic sports such as rangoli competition, kite flying, cock fights and bull fights.

Bhogi Festival 2023: Prasadam/Food Offering

After pujas, the offering of 'Bholi' (battercake with lentil or coconut filling prepared with jaggery) is made to God as prasad. Then a huge bonfire is lit to burn all the unwanted junk stored in the house. A very delicious and rich meal is prepared that is served on a plantain leaf. This includes Pachadi, Parupu, Kootu, Poriyal, Varuval, Apalam, Vadai, Payasam, Bholi, Rice, Sambar, Rasam, Thayir and so on.

Bhogi Festival 2023: Spiritual Significance

Dedicated to Lord Indra, Bhogi is the day farmers worship him for a good harvest to eke out wealth and prosperity. Bhogi is celebrated with the main intention of disposing of junk and ushering in spiritual comfort and prosperity into our hearths and hearts. Bhogi is the day that gets us Bhogam (material as well as spiritual affluence) from the Divine and Bhogi is the day that offers just that. As per another legend, Bhogi Festival celebrates the beneficent presence of Lord Indra (God of rain and thunderstorms) in our lives.

Disclaimer: The information is based on assumptions and information available on the internet and the accuracy or reliability is not guaranteed. Boldsky does not confirm any inputs or information related to the article and our only purpose is to deliver information. Kindly consult the concerned expert before practising or implementing any information and assumption.