#Pongal festival full#

Traditionally, Pongal is cooked using firewood in front of the house. On the 3rd day festival, which is Pongal day, people draw colourful Kolam (Rangoli) on the floor as part of decoration using rice flour or chalk powder. How the Pongal festival is celebrated by Tamils: Few people in rural areas celebrate Boghi by cleaning up their houses, getting rid of old things (old thoughts), painting their houses newly and getting prepared for the harvest festival. On the night before the Pongal festival, in the early days, farmers used to burn agricultural waste and firewood to keep them warm during the last lap of winter (Tamil month Margazhi) but over time, our people started to burn worn-out tyres, plastics, old clothes etc., But this practice was banned by the government due to serious air-pollution that spoilt the environment. The first day of the 4-day festival commences with the ‘Boghi’ festival. What do people do during the Boghi festival:

#Pongal festival full#

So Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated for 4 full days, from the last day of the Tamil month Margazhi, throughout South India, wherein all families get together to share their joy and harvest of that year with others. Thanking & worshipping nature for a bountiful harvest and honouring the sun by offering ‘Pongal’- rice cooked in milk with lentils and jaggery, thanking the cattle – farm animals that helped in the harvest. In South India, Pongal is celebrated during the harvest season (Tamil month- Thai) for 4 full days, as part of thanksgiving. Pongal Festival Preparation Why is the Pongal festival special for the Tamils?

North Indians celebrate this harvest season as ‘Lohri’ in commemoration of harvesting winter crops, whereas Assamese celebrate this as ‘Bihu’ and people in Karnataka and Andhra / Telangana celebrate Pongal as ‘Makara Sankranti’. It is one of the important festivals of the Tamil people. Pongal is now being celebrated by different names in different regions in India. Tamil people celebrate the harvest festival as the Pongal during the Tamil month ‘Thai’. Pongal – Thai Tirunaal, celebrated in Tamil month ‘Thai’, the harvest season Who celebrates Pongal?