Pongal Festival
(Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh)
In
the South Sankranti becomes Pongal. It is a celebration of the harvest which
is observed for three days in Tamil Nadu as well as in Andhra Pradesh. The first
day is the Bhogi Pongal which is celebrated as a family festival. Surya Pongal,
the second day, is dedicated to the Sun (surya) when pongal (rice cooked in
milk and jaggery) is boiled by women and offered to the sun. Friends greet one
another by asking "Is it boiled?" and the answer given is "It
is". It is followed by great rejoicing.
Mattu Pongal, the third day, is a day dedicated to the worship and veneration
of cattle(mattu). The pongal that has been offered to the local deities is given
to the cattle to eat. The cattle are bathed and decorated. Coloured balls of
the pongal are also made and left in the open for birds. In Madurai, Tiruchirapalli
and Tanjore, a kind of bullfight, called the "Jellikattu" is held.
Bundles containing money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls, and unarmed
villagers try to wrest the bundles from them. With ingredients provided by the
freshly gathered harvest, community meals are held at night.
Pongal Festival, Festival Tours in India
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