#historyofpongalfestival #pongalfestival #pongalcelebration #whatispongal

India, being an agrarian country, brims with festivals that celebrate the harvest season.

Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festivals in the country.

The festival is celebrated by the Tamil community across the globe in mid-January every year.

It, often, coincides with other harvest festivals across the subcontinent, such as Makar Sankranti.

Pongal is celebrated around the same time as Lohri and Bihu.

The four-day festival honours the Sun god and commemorates the Sun's northward voyage.

It also signifies the end of winter.

History.

Pongal is considered to be an ancient celebration, dating to the
Sangam Age from 200 BC to 300 AD.

It's originally a Dravidian harvest festival but finds mention in Sanskrit Puranas too.

In the Sangam Age, Pongal was celebrated as Thai Niradal in the month of Margazhi.

The festival was marked by the worship of goddess Katyayani through fasts and rituals.

These festivities paved the way to today's Pongal.

Food and cattle are a vital part of this celebration.

Significance.

Pongal is widely celebrated in the Southern States of India including TamilNadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry.

Apart from India, Pongal serves as a major festival in countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, etc.,

Tamil Nadu and Kerala Pongal is celebrated as a four day long festival.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the harvest festival is called as Pedda Panduga.

Pongal is celebrated in the name of Makara Sankranthi in Karnataka and Maharastra.

Day 1 – #bhogi

Bhogi marks the last day of the tamil month Marghazhi and is celebrated to welcome the new start of the harvest month “Thai”.

The concept of celebrating Bhogi is “Leaving your past behind and giving place to a new start”.

Day 2 – #suryanpongal

Suryan Pongal marks the first day of “Thai”. This is celebrated to the Sun God for all the blessings and yield.

People prepare sweet rice in clay pots and serve it to the God Sun as a part of their thanksgiving.

Day 3 – #mattupongal

People celebrate their bulls and cows which helped for their yield by bathing them and painting their horns.

Day 4 – #kaanumpongal

Kaanum Pongal is often acknowledged as Thiruvalluvar Day and also as a day where women pray to the Sun God for the well being of their brothers.

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