Pongal festival 2019
Pongal is the largest peasant festival in Tamil Nadu and is associated with their crops. People associated with Hinduism in Tamil Nadu celebrate this festival very freely. This festival is celebrated during Makar Sankranti.
On this day, there is more preparation and fervor in the village. On this day all the people of the village who celebrate this festival worship the Sun God and wish to keep their grace.
Farmers’ festival Pongal is mainly celebrated in South India. This festival, celebrated for four days, is dedicated to the deity related to agriculture and crops. Traditionally the prasad offered to Lord Suryadev on the day of this festival dedicated to prosperity is called Pogal, due to which the festival got its name Pongal.
History of Pongal
The festival began with the Sangam era but some historians believe that the festival is at least 2,000 years old. It was celebrated as ‘Thai Nirdal’.
According to Tamil beliefs, Mattoo is the bull of Lord Shankar, who due to a mistake, Lord Shankar asked him to live on earth to produce food for humans and since then he has been living on earth and helping human beings in agricultural work. On this day, farmers bathe their bulls and apply oil to their singles and decorate the bulls in other ways. They are worshiped after decorating the hair. Along with the bull, cow and calves are also worshiped on this day. Somewhere people also know it by the name of Keanu Pongal in which sisters worship their brothers for their well being and brothers give gifts to their sisters.
Pongal
This year Pongal will be celebrated on January 15, 2019.
Pongal festival is mainly of four types:
* Bhogi Pongal
* Surya Pongal
* Mattoo Pongal
* kanya
Pongal is a four-day festival.
Day 1 – Bhogi Pongal
Women clean their houses well before the Pongal festival. They decorate large pottery with kumkum and swastika.
Second day – Surya Pongal
The eldest person of the house is given to pour rice and water in a large earthen pot on the day of Pongal, which is also an honor. Pongal means cooked rice made to offer God. But those who make this bhoga have to take great care because they have to make ah without putting it on a beautiful rangoli.
This festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu as well as in neighboring states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
On the morning of the Pongal festival, whether children or old people take a holy dip in all the lakes or rivers and the people of the village take a bath with the water of ponds and wells. Naturally, this festival is celebrated with lots of happiness and enthusiasm.
All people wear new clothes on this day. In the evening everyone meets each other and eats rice. Some people are weary losers then fall asleep remembering the celebration of the first day’s festival.
Day 3 – Muttu Pongal
The third day of Pongal is celebrated in a different way. This day is especially to give respect to our pets. This is done because animals also help a lot from the irrigation of the crop to the harvesting of the crop, then it is a religion to respect them.
Cows, bulls are very beautifully decorated and are also worshiped. This day is also called Kanu Pongal and this practice is called Kanu PD.
On this day all the women wish their brothers good life and success. On the third day of Pongal, women make delicious sarees and dishes for their brothers.
Day 4 – Kanum Pongal
The fourth day or the last day is known as Kannum Pongal. This day is for all people to sit together and eat. All people take the blessings of people older than themselves and thus this sacred festival Pongal Pongal is celebrated.