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This holy day marks the commencement of the Sun's northern course in the
Heavens - the Uttaraayana patha. This turn in the Sun's course takes
place at the point of time when it enters the sign of Makara or
Capricorn.From this day the day-duration increases and the night decreases. It
is the harbinger of more light and sunshine in life and lessening of its darker
aspects. This happy occasion is termed as Pongal in Tamilnadu and as
Khichadi in northern Bharat - both of them being names of sweet
delicacies specially prepared on that day!
Light symbolizes the warmth, i.e., the love and affection, the quality of the
heart. In many areas of Bharat, this is symbolized by the distribution of
til-gul - the til seed and jaggery. The til brimming with
fragrant and delicious oil, stands for friendship and comradeship and jaggery
for the sweetness of speech and behavior. The distribution of til-gul,
therefore, forms a touching aspects of the Makara Sankramana
celebration.
In Karnataka, the festival is called Sankranti; cows and bullocks are painted
and decorated and fed on Pongal ( a seet preparation of rice). In the evening,
the cattle in each village are led out in procession to the beat of drums and
music. In some towns of the south, the festival is climaxed by a kind of
bull-fight in which youndg men try to wrest bundles of currnecy notes from the
horns of a ferocious bull. In Andhar Pradesh, every household displays its
collection of dolls for three days.
This festival of Pongal falls in the month of January after the winter
solistice and as such this Pongal festival marks the favourable course of the
Sun. It is a three-day festival and the fourth day is a day for outdoors and
excursions.
The first day is celebrated as the BHOGI PONGAL and is usually meant
for domestic activities and of being together with the family members. This
first day is celebrated in honour of Lord Indra, the supreme ruler of clouds
that give rains. Homage is paid to Lord Indra for the abundance of harvest,
thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to the land.
An interesting story is told that Indra, being worshipped by all on this day,
became proud and arrogant Lord Krishna to teach him a lesson asked his shepherd
friends to worship Mount Govardhan instead of Indra on Bhogi Pongal day.
Terribly enraged, Indra sent forth the seven clouds to bring forth thunder,
lightning and heavy rains to cause deluge to destroy the shepherds. But Lord
Krishna lifted up the Govardhan mountain under which the shepherds and their
cattle got full shelter. Then Indra begged Krishna's forgiveness and once more
Lord Krishna allowed Bhogi celebrations to continue in honour of Indra. There is
a beautiful carving at Mahabalipuram showing Krishna lifting Govardhan.
On this day before sunrise a huge bonfire is lit in front of the houses and
all the useless household things are thrown into the fire. The burning of all
that is old is symbolic of the starting of a fresh new year. The bonfire is kept
burning throughout the night while boys beat little drums known by the name
"Bhogi Kottus" made from the hides of buffaloes.
Homes are cleaned till they literally shine and are adorned with "Kolam"
designs drawn with white paste of newly-harvested rice and outlines of the Kolam
designs with red mud. In villages yellow pumpkin flowers are set out in cow-dung
balls in the middle of the designs. The harvest of rice, turmeric and sugarcane
is brought in and kept ready for the next day's festivities.
The second day of Pongal is known as SURYA PONGAL and is dedicated to
the Sun God. On this day the granaries are full, sun shines brightly, trees are
in full bloom, bird-songs resound in the air and hearts overflow with happiness
that get translated into colourful and joyous celebrations. A plank is placed on
the ground and Kolam designs are drawn on its sides. In the centre of the plank
is drawn a large figure of the Sun God with his effulgent rays. The "Puja" of
the Sun God starts after the auspicious moment of the birth of the new month
THAI. Prayers are rendered to the Sun God to seek his benedictions.
The word `Pongal' literally has two connotations. Firstly it is the name of
the special dish cooked on this day and secondly the word "Ponga" means "boil".
So the word 'Pongal' means that which is overflowing. The preparation of this
special dish needs a new mud-pot called Pongapani on which artistic designs are
drawn. The village fair where these pots of different shapes and designs are
sold is truly an aesthetic treat for the eyes to behold as also the specially
set up colourful sugarcane market. While the `Puja' is being performed, the neck
of the Pongapani is tied with fresh turmeric and fresh ginger saplings with
tender green leaves. The green leaves are symbolic of prosperity, the turmeric
of auspiciousness, ginger for the spice of life. The special dish called
"Sarkkarai Pongal" is cooked in this mud-pot. After the rituals of puja are over
"Sarkkarai Pongal" with sticks of sugarcane is offered to the Sun god as a
thanksgiving for the plentiful harvest. Sugarcane that is offered is symbolic
for sweetness and happiness in life. It is said that on this day Lord
Sundareshwar in the Madurai temple performed a miracle and breathed life into a
stone elephant who could eat sugarcane. The carving of this event is in
Meenakshi temple. From this month of THAI starts the marriage season in
Tamil Nadu.
The THIRD day is MATTU PONGAL which is the festival of cattle.
To the village people cow, the giver of milk and the bull which draws the plough
in the fields are very valuable and therefore the farmers honour their dumb
friends by celebrating it as a day of thanks-giving to them. The cattle are
washed, their horns are painted and covered with shining metal caps.
Multi-coloured beads, tinkling bells, sheafs of corn and flower garlands are
tied around their necks. They are fed with pongal and taken to the village
centres. The resounding of their bells attract the villagers as the young men
race each other's cattle. The entire atmosphere becomes festive and full of fun
and revelry. Big commotion is seen when the game "Manji Virattu" starts in which
groups of young men chase the running bulls.
In some places "Jallikattu" is arranged. It is a bull-fight in which money
bags are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls and unarmed young men are asked to
wrest them from the bull's horns.
On the Mattu Pongal day Lord Ganesh and Goddess Parvati are worshipped and
Pongal is offered to them in the `puja'.
This day is also known by the name of Kanu Pongal when coloured balls of
cooked rice are placed in the open air by girls for the birds and crows to eat.
With each ball of rice that the sister makes she prays for her brother's
happiness and the brothers and sisters wherever they may be remember each other.
Community dinners are also held when rich and poor, the landlord and the
peasant, the old and the young, women and children all dine together forgetting
the distinction of caste or class. All share in the spirit of fonhomic.
Pongal is a festival when god is praised with a simple faith and sincerity.
Old vices are all washed out and all that is good is welcomed in this New year.
This festival is of all living things, of man, his beast and his crop and of the
birds that fly in the sky making man look up to the heaven in joy and
thankfulness to God for everything that He gives to man specially peace and
happiness and the feeling of brotherhood.
The advent of Pongal is associated with spring-cleaning and
burning of rubbish, symbolizing the destruction of evil. Decorative designs or
rangolis are traced on floors and on the day of the Pongal, the newly harvested
rice is cooked in homes to acclaim the bounty of the gods.
Significances:
Distributing sesame seeds is an astrologically and traditionally
acccepted form of ensuring purity in life. To make sesame seeds acceptable and
enjoyable it is mixed with the freshly harvested and roasted pulses and
"jaggery" which creates a high protein, nutritious and iron rich mixture.
Elchi fruit (Badari fruit) stands for Wisdom. It is commonly
believed that the famous and intelligent, St. Vyasa, who was responsible for the
sorting of the Four Great Vedas, was born amidst the trees bearing this
fruit.
Looking for a receipe to make Pongal Pongal
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