Pongal festival

• Pongal is a four-day harvest festival of Tamil Nadu, celebrated with gusto and fervor, by the Tamil in the state.
• All four days of the festival (from the 13th of January to the 16th of January) are thoroughly enjoyed by the people.
• The festival is dedicated to Mother Nature, as farmers thank her for blessing them with a bountiful crop.
• Each day of the four-day festival bears significance in one way or the other.

Four Days of Pongal Celebrations

Day One - Bhogi

The celebrations of the Pongal festival start with Bhogi/Bogi, which usually falls on the 13th of January.

One day before Bhogi, the households are clean, so that the premises become pious for the celebrations. People wake up early in the morning, take bath and make beautiful designs of kolam on the verandah of their homes. On this day, people worship Sun God and agricultural equipment that is used to cut the crop. Thereafter, they would use the equipment to cut their paddy crop, which would be ready to harvest. On Bhogi, people throw unwanted and old materials into the fire, which symbolizes the end of old things and the beginning of the new.

Day Two - Surya Pongal
The second day is the main day of the Pongal festival and is celebrated as Surya Pongal. On this day, people wake up early in the morning, take bath and worship Sun God. Women would draw beautiful kolam at the entrance of their houses. New rice, which was harvested on the previous day, is cooked on Surya Pongal. A new clay pot is used for the purpose. The rice is cooked with milk and jaggery, over the stove, in an open area.

The Pongal thus made is offered to Sun God. The rice-milk-jaggery mixture is allowed to boil well until the rice falls. This is termed Pongal. After the Pongal is offered to Sun God, people would relish several Pongal dishes that are prepared especially for the day and then greet each other, wishing a very happy Pongal.

Day Three - Mattu Pongal
Mattu Pongal is the third day of the festival. This day is dedicated to farm animals including cows and ox, because they help the farmers to raise a crop and harvest it, successfully. On Mattu Pongal, the farm animals are bathed and then adorned beautifully. Their horns are often painted and garland is wrapped around the horns. After applying tilak on the forehead of the cattle, people would offer Pongal to the animal. The farmers often take their farm animals for a round in the entire village.

Day Four - Kaanum Pongal
The fourth and the last day of Pongal is known as Kaanum Pongal. In some parts of Tamil Nadu, Kaanum Pongal is also known as Karinaal. Sun God is worshipped on the day and people offer food along with Sarkarai Pongal. Sugarcane is offered to the deity as well as an exchange among people to symbolize sweetness and joy in life. Kaanum Pongal is the time for people to pay visits to their loved ones and faraway acquaintances. Pongal songs and folk dances are performed by people, on Kaanum Pongal.

2024 Date: 15^th January

2025 Date: 14^th January.