One of many main festivals in Southern India, Pongal is a four-day-long conventional pageant celebrated predominantly within the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. It is likely one of the most necessary festivals in India. It marks the start of the month of Makara, which alerts the entry of the Solar into Uttarayana. Many individuals additionally have a good time Pongal as a harvest pageant since harvesting is undertaken for crops like rice and sugarcane.

In 2024, Pongal begins on Monday, 15 January, and ends on Thursday, 18 January.

Varied Varieties of Pongal Pageant

Day-after-day of the four-day celebration is marked by a special pageant and custom. There are 4 kinds of Pongal being celebrated in India and these embody Bhogi Pongal, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal.

Bhogi Pongal

The annual pageant begins with Bhogi Pongal. At the present time is devoted to the rain god Lord Indira. Since that is the time of harvest, it’s customary to worship the rain god for good rains that make the harvest attainable. Devotees sing and dance in reward of Lord Indira for wealth and success as a part of the festivities.

Thai Pongal

That is the primary day of the Pongal pageant and an exceptionally necessary event. Thai Pongal is the Solar’s first day in Uttara yana. So, additionally it is Surya Pongal or Solar Pongal. A Kolam, which is a design hand drawn by the females in the home utilizing lime powder, is made on the entrance of the home. Through the day, rice is cooked together with milk and jaggery in a pot which is then provided to the Solar god together with sugarcane, coconut, and bananas. This dish can be referred to as Pongal.

Mattu Pongal

On at the present time, folks worship cattle, particularly cows as they’ve lengthy been thought-about an emblem of fertility and prosperity in conventional Hindu households. They’re worshipped as a method to make sure the continuance of wealth and success in life as a brand new season commences. Additionally, within the extra distant previous, it was the cattle that plowed the land for people whose efforts enabled a wonderful harvest through the Pongal time. So, they’re worshipped alongside the gods as an emblem of gratitude and devotion. On this auspicious day, cattle are adorned with bells, flower garlands, and different equipment and folks additionally carry out aarti to venerate them.

Kaanum Pongal

The final day of the pageant, Kaanum Pongal marks the conclusion of festivities. On at the present time, ladies pray for the nice fortune of their household and the household of their brothers. Arati is carried out, and holy water is sprinkled in all places in the home and outdoors.

Pongal – A Very Sacred Celebration

In response to Hindu perception, Pongal could be very auspicious. Pongal 2024 timing is taken into account among the many most sacred of the yr. The importance of Pongal is that the Solar has completed its transition by way of Dakshinayana and is getting into the Uttarayana. This implies the Solar is regularly regaining its powers which have been in a weakened state throughout Dakshinayana. When it comes to seasons, Pongal symbolizes the arrival of the Spring-Summer season season when it will get progressively hotter. That is why Pongal is taken into account appropriate for brand new beginnings.

It’s the day when the trustworthy specific gratitude for the presents they take pleasure in in life, like good meals and a loving household. A lot time is spent on festive actions on Pongal Day. The Pongal season is historically additionally the time when folks exit on a procuring spree and spend essentially the most cash through the yr. That is additionally the explanation why even film stars select Pongal because the event for the discharge of their films.

Similarities Between Pongal and Sankranti

There isn’t a doubt that Pongal and Sankranti are the identical. The outline of Pongal being a harvest pageant was a later addition. Historically Pongal marks the getting into of the Solar into Uttarayana, which suggests the tip of winter and the start of the Spring-Summer season months forward. Sankranti is the purpose when the Solar transitions from one zodiac to the subsequent. Whereas each such transition to a special zodiac is technically a Sankranti, the phrase Sankranti colloquially means Makar Sankranti, which sees the Solar transitioning to Makara. The title Makar Sankranti is used incessantly in northern elements of India.

Why Do We Rejoice Pongal?

The auspicious pageant of Pongal is widely known within the month of Thai. That is additionally the month of weddings. Fertility and prosperity of household and society are celebrated throughout at the present time. On at the present time, devotees thank the gods and nature for the wealthy harvest. Solar, rain, and cattle are worshipped throughout Pongal. It’s believed that celebrating Pongal ushers in wealth, peace, and prosperity to all.

Within the trendy world, Pongal has its inception in historic historical past, and there are two tales related to the celebration of Pongal. In a single story, Lord Shiva as soon as requested Basava, his bull, to descend on Earth and educate people one of the best ways to guide their lives ahead. Shiva wished people to eat as soon as a month and to have an oil bathtub on daily basis. However Basava bought the message combined up. He stated that people wanted to eat day by day and get oil baths as soon as a month. This aggravated Lord Shiva. He banished Basava to dwell on Earth perpetually and was tasked to plow the fields to provide extra meals for people. It’s due to this purpose that individuals worship cattle on at the present time.

In response to the opposite story, Lord Krishna as soon as went bitter on Lord Indra, the rain god. He requested the folks within the village to cease worshipping Lord Indra. Aggravated, Lord Indra pounded the village with days of rain and thunderstorms. However Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain and shielded the village from the rain. Lord Indra was humbled and was pressured to simply accept the divinity of Lord Krishna. These two episodes mirror the steps taken by people as a part of social evolution. First, they realized to cultivate animals, after which they tamed pure disasters by way of irrigation, each of which enabled them to reap sufficient meals to maintain them by way of the yr.

Who Celebrates Pongal in India?

The pageant of Pongal is normally celebrated by Hindus and Vedic astrology varieties the bottom of it. The passing of the Solar from winter solstice in the direction of Spring is predicated on the Vedic calendar. Nevertheless, in trendy society, the pageant of Pongal, very similar to every other giant pageant, has assumed a secular character and is seen extra as a harvest pageant than a sure level within the transition of the Solar across the chart. Due to this fact, at this time virtually everybody in South India enjoys celebrating Pongal with pomp and fervor.

What Ought to You Eat Throughout Pongal?

For the reason that celebration of Pongal is centered across the making of a dish additionally identified by the title Pongal, most individuals eat this throughout celebrations. It’s ready by boiling rice with milk in a clay pot. There are two kinds of Pongal. In a single, sugar or jaggery is added to make the dish candy. It’s referred to as Chakkara Pongal. One other method is so as to add clarified butter to the dish, which known as Venn Pongal. Spicy Venn Pongal is named a well-liked breakfast merchandise and is loved by Tamil natives.

Significance of Pongal in Astrology

Astrology could be thought-about the muse of Pongal. It alerts the Solar rising again in energy after the tip of the Winter solstice. This occurs when it enters the tenth Zodiac of Makara (Capricorn). Within the Gregorian calendar, this event falls on January 14-15. The winter solstice now occurs virtually a month earlier, on December 21, however since Vedic astrology is predicated on Nakshatras (star constellation) and never the Solar, like in Western astrology, the date stays the identical millennia after millennia. The phrase Pongal means to boil and overflow. This refers back to the preparation of the Pongal dish, which is full when the combo boils and overflows out of the clay pot. Pongal can be celebrated as Makar Sankranti, Lohri, and Kicheri in different elements of India.

Now that you understand every little thing in regards to the Pongal pageant and celebrations, we hope you have got a spectacular celebration this yr.