Pongal Festival

Last Updated on October 21, 2020

Pongal Festival :

  • Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu
  • It is celebrated in the mid of January  every year.
  • Pongal Celebrations lasts for 4 days
  • Pongal is considered the beginning of Uttarayan
  • People wear new clothes and pray God to shower his blessings on this day

Pongal Festival : (Short Essay)

Pongal is one of the most popular and much celebrated festival of Tamil Nadu. Pongal Festival is the harvest festival of South India. The celebration lasts for 4 days and it falls in the mid of January every year. Pongal is the main dish that is prepared and served to God on this day. The 4 days of Celebration are: Bhogi, Pongal, Maatu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal.  Pongal day, is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the Kaanum Pongal. Women at home clean and decorate their houses well ahead of the celebrations. People wear their new and traditional dresses and decorate the vessel they are going to prepare Pongal in. Sugar Cane is the real treat during Pongal and people enjoy eating it after praying to God.

Pongal Festival : (Brief Essay)

Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu, also a great festival of South India. The festival is celebrated as a Thanks Giving ceremony to God. As we all know, for any farmer Harvesting is the biggest part of all his hard work. He toils all the year with his cattle, working day and night depending on rain and Sun. So, as a note of thanks to God for helping him throughout, Pongal is celebrated in  mid of January every year.

Pongal is believed to be the beginning of Uttarayan – the beginning of Sun’s long journey northwards. People believe with this celebration, God shall give them peace, happiness, prosperity, brightness and harmony in life. On these 4 days, families gather and share their joy.

The 4 days of Pongal celebrations are named as:

  1. Bhogi Pongal: The houses are cleaned getting rid of old things and decorations take place
  2. Surya Pongal: This is the first day of the Tamil Month – Thai. This day is also known as Thai Pongal. People offere Pongal to the Sun God
  3. Mattu Pongal: On this day, the farmer expresses his happiness of a fresh harvest. The happiness is shared in the form of food and sweets
  4. Kaanum Pongal: This day is more like Raksha Bandhan. Brother pay tribute to their sisters and families get together on this day

The houses are cleaned, painted and decorated before the celebrations start. People wear new dresses on these days and they believe it is time to forget everything and simply rejoice. Many people visit their natives since it is a long and most celebrated festival in South India.