Thai Ponggal is a harvest
festival celebrated by Tamil people. Including the Bhogi Pandhigai, it is a
four day festival celebrated to appreciate the nature and resources that takes
part in the agriculture that returned with a good harvest. Boghi Pandhigai will take place on the last
day of Tamil month Margazhi. The second and main day of the festival and is
known as Thai Ponggal or Surya Ponggal that will be on the first day of Tamil
month Thai followed by third day festival Mattu Ponggal and fourth day
festival, Kaanum Ponggal.
It is one of the most important
festivals celebrated by Tamil people all over the world. In Tamil, the word Ponggal
means "overflowing" which signifies wealth and prosperity. The Tamils
often believe to the phrase "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum" meaning
"the commencement of Thai paves the way for new opportunities". Tamils
refer to Ponggal as "Tamizhar Thirunaal" (meaning "the festival
of Tamils").
The day preceding Ponggal is called
Bhogi Pandhigai, where people discard old things and focus on new belongings. The
people assemble to light a bonfire to discard old used possessions. The house
is cleaned, painted and decorated to give a festive look.
Thai Ponggal/Surya Ponggal is
mainly celebrated to convey the appreciation and thankfulness to the Sun God as
it act as the primary energy behind agriculture. The people will decorate their
homes with banana and mango leaves and embellish the floor with decorative
patterns drawn using rice flour. Newly harvested sugar canes and turmeric are
tied at the entrance of homes dedicating to the Sun God. At the time of sun
rise, fresh milk is boiled in a new clay pot and when the milk boils over and
bubbles out of the vessel, people shout "Pongalo Pongalo”. Tamils consider
it a good sign to watch the milk boil over as it indicates good luck and
prosperity. Subsequently, newly harvested rice is added into the boiled milk together
with ingredients such as sugar, jaggery, cardamom, raisins, cashew nuts and ghee.
The newly cooked rice is simply called as ponggal and it is firstly offered to
the Sun God to demonstrate gratitude for the harvest. It is later served to the
people present in the house for the ceremony.
Cows play an important role in
the traditional Indian farmstead as the provision of dairy products, its use
for ploughing and transport and its provision of fertilizer. This explains the
Tamils reference to cow as wealth. Maatu Ponggal is celebrated together by the
villagers to thank the cows for its favour in farming. As to demonstrate their
recognition and affection to the cows, the people will decorate the cows with
garlands, apply kungumam on its foreheads, paint its horns with colours and feed
them with a mixture of ponggal, jaggery, honey, banana and other fruits. In Tamil
Nadu, adventurous games such as the Jallikkattu are features of the day.
Kannum Ponggal is simply referred
as the time for family gatherings in Tamil Nadu. The word “Kaanum” means ‘to
visit”, thus, during Kannum Ponggal, people visit relatives and friends to
enjoy the festive season. This day is a day to thank relatives and friends for
their support in the harvest. Landlords present gifts of food, clothes and
money to their workforce.
Although it started as a farmer’s
festival, today it has become a national festival for all Tamils irrespective
of their origins or even religion.
source: web encyclopaedia ...
