One of many main festivals in Southern India, Pongal is a four-day-long conventional competition celebrated predominantly within the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. It is among the most vital festivals in India. It marks the start of the month of Makara, which alerts the entry of the Solar into Uttarayana. Many individuals additionally rejoice Pongal as a harvest competition 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 Kinds of Pongal Pageant

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

Bhogi Pongal

The annual competition begins with Bhogi Pongal. This present day 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 doable. Devotees sing and dance in reward of Lord Indira for wealth and luck as a part of the festivities.

Thai Pongal

That is the primary day of the Pongal competition and an exceptionally vital 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. In the course of the day, rice is cooked together with milk and jaggery in a pot which is then supplied to the Solar god together with sugarcane, coconut, and bananas. This dish can be referred to as Pongal.

Mattu Pongal

On today, 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 luck 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 superb 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 other people additionally carry out aarti to venerate them.

Kaanum Pongal

The final day of the competition, Kaanum Pongal marks the conclusion of festivities. On today, ladies pray for the great fortune of their household and the household of their brothers. Arati is carried out, and holy water is sprinkled in every single place in the home and outdoors.

Pongal – A Very Sacred Celebration

In keeping with Hindu perception, Pongal may 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 via Dakshinayana and is getting into the Uttarayana. This implies the Solar is regularly regaining its powers which had been in a weakened state throughout Dakshinayana. By way of seasons, Pongal symbolizes the arrival of the Spring-Summer time season when it will get progressively hotter. This is the reason Pongal is taken into account appropriate for brand new beginnings.

It’s the day when the trustworthy categorical gratitude for the items 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 probably the most cash through the yr. That is additionally the rationale why even film stars select Pongal because the event for the discharge of their motion pictures.

Similarities Between Pongal and Sankranti

There isn’t any doubt that Pongal and Sankranti are the identical. The outline of Pongal being a harvest competition 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 time 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 identify Makar Sankranti is used regularly in northern components of India.

Why Do We Have a good time Pongal?

The auspicious competition 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 today. On today, 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 historical 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 train people one of the simplest ways to steer their lives ahead. Shiva needed people to eat as soon as a month and to have an oil tub day-after-day. However Basava acquired the message blended up. He mentioned that people wanted to eat each day and get oil baths as soon as a month. This irritated Lord Shiva. He banished Basava to reside on Earth without end and was tasked to plow the fields to provide extra meals for people. It’s due to this motive that individuals worship cattle on today.

In keeping with 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 compelled to simply accept the divinity of Lord Krishna. These two episodes replicate the steps taken by people as a part of social evolution. First, they realized to cultivate animals, after which they tamed pure disasters via irrigation, each of which enabled them to reap sufficient meals to maintain them via the yr.

Who Celebrates Pongal in India?

The competition of Pongal is normally celebrated by Hindus and Vedic astrology types the bottom of it. The passing of the Solar from winter solstice in direction of Spring relies on the Vedic calendar. Nonetheless, in trendy society, the competition of Pongal, very similar to every other giant competition, has assumed a secular character and is seen extra as a harvest competition than a sure level within the transition of the Solar across the chart. Due to this fact, in the present day nearly 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 recognized by the identify Pongal, most individuals devour 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 is known as Venn Pongal. Spicy Venn Pongal is named a preferred breakfast merchandise and is loved by Tamil natives.

Significance of Pongal in Astrology

Astrology may 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 nearly a month earlier, on December 21, however since Vedic astrology relies 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 combination boils and overflows out of the clay pot. Pongal can be celebrated as Makar Sankranti, Lohri, and Kicheri in different components of India.

Now that you recognize every thing in regards to the Pongal competition and celebrations, we hope you may have a spectacular celebration this yr.