Pongal is one of the harvest festivals celebrated in South India to offer prayers to the Sun God for a good harvest. The festival, which is celebrated over four days, coincides with Makar Sankranti.
This is one of the important festivals of Tamil community.Tamilians in city also celebrating the festival with enthusiasm for a good beginning.For Tamilians; this is one of the most auspicious festivals.
Pongal is celebrated with great pomp and show; it is a multi-day festival with different rituals for each day. It starts with the Bhogi festival on the first day, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and ends with Kannum Pongal on the fourth day. It is that time of the month when crops like rice, sugarcane and others are harvested.
A resident of the city stated that during the occasion, the Tamilians prepare a sweet dish named’Pongal’with the new grown rice in an earthen pot. It is a combination of rice, milk and jiggery mixed together. They believe that Pongal brings prosperity and wellness. People clean their households on the onset of the festivity. And also discard the old clothes for a fresh start, which is believed to keep the evil spirits away. And also they prepare Satvik aahar in a special brass pot called Vengalapanae(metal pot) which they buy it once and use it on this very day and keep it back again.
