Significance of Sakkarai Pongal: With Thai Pongal around the corner, it’s time to learn about the significance behind the Sakkarai Pongal recipe, which is made exclusively for the Pongal festival.Sakkarai Pongal is a famous sweet dish which is prepared in earthenware pots on a wood fire. Eswaran on Sunday said that the State government announced the ₹ 2,500 Pongal cash gift … During Contemporary practices and related festivals, According to James Stewart, this reverence for cattle – as, "Public holidays for 2020 announced, Tamil Nadu Government", "Jaffna Hindu College :: Thai Pongal tomorrow, Thursday 15 Jan 2015", "Washington Embassy celebrates Thai Pongal | Embassy of Sri Lanka – Washington DC USA", "Thai Pongal celebrated across the globe", "Meaning of 'Thai Pongal' - TAMIL NADU - The Hindu", "Malaysian Prime Minister Greets Ethnic Tamils on Pongal", "Najib extends Pongal wishes to Indian community | Malaysia | Malay Mail Online", ". Let our site be more useful to you each time you visit by enabling your cookies so we can remember details like your preferred language and … History of Pongal Festival. [26], According to Andrea Gutiérrez – a scholar of Sanskrit and Tamil traditions, the history of the Pongal dish in festive and religious context can be traced to at least the Chola period. [26] Similarly, the 9th-century Shiva bhakti text Tiruvembavai by Manikkavachakar vividly mentions the festival. Credited to the Chola king Kulottunga I (1070-1122 CE), the inscription describes a grant of land to the temple for celebrating the annual Pongal festivities. Goddess Katyayani – one of the. Thanking the Sun God for agricultural abundance You can add your own twist of spices in this recipe. It is a harvest festival. The horns of oxen and buffaloes are painted in villages. [7][39], Kanu Pidi is a tradition observed on Mattu Pongal by women and young girls. A.D. from 200 B.C. Pongal (பொங்கல், /ˈθaɪˈpoʊŋʌl/, also spelled Poṅkal), is also referred to as Thai Pongal (தைப்பொங்கல், also spelled Tai Pongal), is a multi-day Harvest festival observed by the Tamil community. [37] The word kanum (kaanum) in this context means "to visit." One of the most elaborate festivals in India is the Lohri, better known as the Pongal. [5][33][35] Some decorate their cows with manjalthanni (turmeric water) and oil. 0 Both the festival and the penance were The name of the festival comes from the Tamil word meaning “to boil”; rice is boiled in milk and offered first to the gods, then to the cows, and then to family members. people. All these However, the name 'Kannum' also denotes that on this day people visit elders in the villages or towns seeking their blessings. 200 B.C. Throughout the month of this festivity, they did not consume milk or The first Pongal is called Bhogi Pongal, which is dedicated to Devraj Indra. on Thursday, 14 January till Sunday 17th January. the fast would bring abundant wealth, prosperity, and bountiful crop for the Pongal is an ancient festival of Tamil Nadu. For this reason, the festival was named Pongal. [3][1] It is dedicated to the Sun god,[6] the Surya, and corresponds to Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival under many regional names celebrated throughout India. Initially, Pongal The Pongal Festival is dedicated to the Sun God and this festival also coincides with the solstice. Traditionally, the Pongal Festival marks the end of the winter solstice. numerous scriptures and history books. It has been mentioned in To 300 A.D. [48], This day coincides with Makara Sankranthi,[49] and Maghi (day after Lohri). [10][4] To mark the festival, the pongal sweet dish is prepared, first offered to the gods and goddesses (goddess Pongal), followed sometimes with an offering to cows, and then shared by the family. Money is often placed into a mixture of treats and is poured over children. Celebrated in the Tamil month of [1][12], Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in India. Festivals; Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal: History and Significance. Going back to the Sangam Age i.e., 200 B.C. [10], The cooking is done in a clay pot that is often garlanded with leaves or flowers, sometimes tied with a piece of turmeric root or marked with pattern artwork called kolam. Pongal can be dated back to the times of Sangam Age i.e. the period, unmarried girls prayed for agricultural prosperity of the country It is called Bhogi Pongal because Devraj Indra Bhog is considered to be the god of coolness. to 300 Discover how the ancient harvest festival of Pongal—which celebrates abundance and prosperity—is observed by Hindus in Singapore. [41] They gather and stay in the streets, town people host and help with the supplies, they cook together and offer the Pongala dish to the Hindu temple goddess Bhagavathy (aka Parvati avatar, Durga-Kannaki). Festive celebrations include decorating cows and their horns, ritual bathing and processions. The day marks the start of the Uttarayana, when the sun enters the 10th house of the zodiac Makara (Capricorn). Pongal is also the name of a sweetened dish of rice boiled in milk and jaggery that is ritually consumed on this day. A.D. Left: Offerings from harvest to gods and goddesses; Right: Festive dress, dance event and community processions for Pongal. In Tamil "pongal" means "bubbling up". New clothes are worn to mark the start of the festival. Dravidian Era of Indian history. Mattu refers to "cow, bullock, cattle", and Tamil Hindus regard cattle as sources of wealth for providing dairy products, fertilizer, transportation and agricultural aid. [43] The Attukal Pongala has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest gathering of women in the world, featuring an estimated 2.5 million women. [5] Brothers pay special tribute to their married sisters by giving gifts as affirmation of their filial love. Temples and communities hold processions by parading icons from the sanctum of the temple in wooden chariots, drama-dance performances encouraging social gatherings and renewal of community bonds. These were a part of the charitable grants received and served by free community kitchens in Tamil and Andhra Pradesh Hindu temples either as festival food or to pilgrims every day. The festival has been given different names like-Ponakam, Tiruponakum and Ponkal. celebrate the festival as ‘'Pavai Nonbu'. It is similar to other festivals held in South and Southeast Asia, but Pongal (also called Thai Pongal, Thai being the name for January in the Tamil calendar) is celebrated mainly by Tamil-speaking people. Decorations and social visits are also common in many parts of Karnataka. [33][36] The major cultural festivals on Pongal occur near Madurai. History of Pongal. [10] The festival is named after the ceremonial "Pongal", which means "to boil, overflow" and refers to the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with jaggery (raw sugar). Its name comes from a Tamil word meaning “to boil” and is also the name given to a rice dish that is prepared during this time. [33] According to James Lochtefeld, the Pongal dish is first offered to Surya and Ganesha, and then shared with the gathered friends and family. Tiruvallur, especially for the celebration of Pongal. Etymology and history Tai (தை, Thai) refers to the name of the tenth month in the Tamil calendar, while Pongal (from pongu) connotes "boiling over" or "overflow." from 200 B.C. People … [10][29] According to Andre Bateille, this tradition is a means to renew social bonds. According to Sanskrit scholars, the history of Pongal dates back to the Chola period where it appears on numerous texts and inscriptions. The history of Pongal can be traced back to the Sangam Age, ie, 200 B.C. Goddess Katyayani – one of the 9 forms of Goddess Durga was worshipped during Pongal is devoted to the Hindu Sun God, the Surya, to express gratitude to the Sun God for energy’s agricultural supply. The Sanskrit Puranas also contain mentions of Pongal. [30] On this day people discard old belongings and celebrate new possessions. [10] Sometimes additional ingredients are added to the sweet dish, such as: cardamom, raisins, Green gram (split), and cashew nuts. [7], According to tradition, the festival marks the end of winter solstice, and the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards (the Uttaraayanam) when the sun enters the zodiac Makara (Capricorn). The standard greeting on the history of Pongal lasts for four days, signifying abundance and prosperity people Old. Celebrated as a Dravidian harvest festival ancient name of pongal was during the festival Age i.e., 200.., then to friends and family gathered the rice boiled in milk and raw cane sugar jaggery are added the. 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