by S. N. Udhayanayahan
Thai Pongal is the embodiment of Tamil culture. The festival usually occurs from January 13 -15 in the solar calendar, the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi to the third day of Thai. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The boiling over of milk in the clay pot symbolizes material abundance for the household.
Thai Pongal heralds the hope of a new era of prosperity. It signifies the end of the harvest season with plenty of hopes pinned on the entire Tamil month of ‘THAI’. This month of ‘THAI’ begins with the Pongal Day. Pongal day signals the end of the traditional farming season.
The month of Thai dawns there will be way of love, peace, harmony, prosperity, joys in everyone’s life. Thai is consided very auspicious. The saying `Thai Piranthal vali Pirakkum’ meaning "the commencement of Thai paves the way for new opportunities" is often quoted regarding the Pongal festival.
All important events are scheduled during this period. It is festival to celebrate the glory of the Sun-God. The Sun moves every month from one sign of Zodiac to the next. Tamils thank the solar deity for the good harvest and consecrate the first grain to him on this `Suriya Mangalya’s’ Thai Pongal, celebrated at harvest time, is traditionally intended to thank the Sun God and farmstead livestock that helped create the material abundance.
Pongal has astronomical significance, it marks the beginning of Uttarayana,the Sun’s movement northward for a six month period. In Hindusm. Uttarayana is considered auspicious, as opposed to Dakshinaayana, or the southern movement of the sun.
When the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn, he begins his northward motion. The sun shines in every human body illuminating the ‘six chakras’. The world cannot survive without the Sun. The solar system is derived from the Sun. Hence the Sun is worshipped as Divine.
This day marks the entry of the Sun into the sign of Capricorn in his northwards journey (Uttaraayana). In the story of Mahabharata, Bhishmacharya lying on a bed of arrows after he fell wounded, waited for the commencement of Uttarayana to give up his sprit to the Lord. He lay on the bed of arrows for 56 days. This signifies the sacredness of this day.
The Pongal celebrations are spread over four days. The day before Pongal is called Bhogi or Bhogi Pongal. It is celebrated as a family festival. On the day of Bhogi, early in the morning people destroy their old things by making a bonfire in front of their houses. The disposal of derelict things is similar to Holika in North India. The house is cleaned, painted and decorated to give a festival look.
This tradition in observed on the same day in Andhara Pradesh as Bhogi Pallu, in Assam as Bhogali Bihu, and in Punjab as Lohri. This is a day of family gathering and dedicated to Lord Indra, the king of the deities and the clouds and rains. The lord Indra heads the Devas in the Indic pantheon. It was known as Indra Vizha or the festival of Indra in the Sangam era.
The second day of Pongal is known as `Suriya Pongal’ is dedicated to the Sun God. The Pongal day, is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the morning. And allowing it to boil over the vessel is a tradition, that is the literal translation of THAI PONGAL.
On the Pongal day, the womenfolk draw rangoli in front of their houses with the caption ‘Pongalo pongal’. This celebration can be seen only in the villages. Newly harvested rice added with a little milk. is boiled in new pots during an auspicious time. Sweet Sugarcane is also kept by the side of the decorated Pongal pot.
The moment of climax is the spillover of the pongal during cooking. The spillover of milk is a propitious symbol of abundance. Firecrackers are lit to signify the moment. Once the Pongal is ready a padayal (The offering) is first made. Sharing of the pongal with friends and relatives follows a few minutes of meditation or prayer. The padayal is offered to the senior members of the family first.
Some of the rituals performed in the Hindu temple include the preparation of rice. chanting of prayers and the offering of vegetables, sugarcane and spices to the Gods. A part from Pongal day celebrations, cooking pongal rice (Community Pongal) at Hindu temples is a traditional practice during any temple festival in south India. The community will convene to cook pongal rice, partake of it and to those present.
Mattu Pongal is the third day of celebration. This day is meant to honor the cattle that worked hard throughout the year. The Vedic reference to cattle as wealth. The cattle play in important role in the traditional Indian farmstead be it with regards to the provision of dairy products, its use for ploughing and transport and its provision of fertilizer. They are fed with pongal and tinkling bells are tied around their neck. Cattle races are conducted which is called Manji Virattu.
Tamil is best illustrated in event like ‘Jalli kattu’ The farm bulls are given a bath, their horns painted and adorned with new cloths in some places. In famous Alanganallur (South India) bulls are set free in a ground where youth who hold on its hump until the victory line are considered victorious. The bull and public suffered injury during this dangers game.
The fourth day is termed as Kannum Pongal. On this day, when people visit their elders to pay their obeisance. The younger members of the family pay homage the elders, and the elders thank them by giving token money, sisters visit their brothers and inquire about their welfare. It resembles the north Indian festival called Raksha Bandhan.
In south India, all four days of Pongal are important. However Tamil who settled in the world usually celebrate only the second day. It is also called Pongal Sankranthi. Sankranthi — means ‘sacred change’ — occurs every month as the Sun moves from one house of the Zodiac to another. But special sacredness attaches to the movement of the Sun to Capricon (Makara-Sankranthi) Tamil refer to Pongal as "Tamizhar Thirunal" meaning "the festival of Tamil." Makara-Sankranthi in turn is referred to in the Surya Siddhanta.
The colourful Kolam tradition dates back to the Indus Valley civilization. The art of Kolam is known throughout India but by different names. The Kolam is much more than just an aesthetic art. On the day of Pongal. family members jointly draw the kolam with rice flour. Parallel straight lines can be drawn using a cylindrical rod as a guide.
Throughout all over India the Pongal is celebrated in different names. Thai pongal in Tamilnadu, Durga Puja in Bengal, Makar Sankranthi in Karnataka, Baisakhi in Punjab, Onam in Kerala, Bihu in Assam, and Ugadi in Andhra.
 Thai Pongal is traditionally dedicated to the Sun God. The harvest festiva...){kind=link}
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