Thai pongal Festival - TamilNadu

Wish U A Happy Pongal - & - Tamil New Year 2010

Location:Tamil Nadu
Falls In The Month:Thai (January)
Celebrated To Mark:Withdrawal Of The Southeast MonsoonsAs Well As The Reaping Of The Harvest Celebrated For:Four Days

A majority of the population of India depends on agriculture. As a result, most of the festivals are also related to the agricultural activities of the people. These festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in almost all the states of India. Pongal is an important festival of Tamil Nadu, which is celebrated to mark the withdrawal of the Southeast monsoons as well as the reaping of the harvest. It falls in the month Thai and is strictly a rural festival.About The Festival The festival is celebrated for four days and the celebrations on the first day of the Tamil month Thai and continues for the three days. The month of Thai is supposed to be very auspicious for every kind of activity. The Sun is worshipped for his rays are responsible for the life on earth. It is the biggest harvest festival, spread over four days. 'Bhogi' is celebrated on January 13, 'Pongal' on January 14, 'Mattu Pongal' on January 15, and 'Thiruvalluvar Day' on January 16. Thiruvalluvar has done a great contribution to Tamil literature with 'Thirukkural'. There are 1,330 verses in this work and they talk about all aspects of life. In fact, the name of the festival is derived from Pongal, a rice pudding made from freshly harvested rice, milk and jaggery. The first day, "Bhogi Pongal", is a day for the family. "Surya Pongal", the second day, is dedicated to the worship of Surya, the Sun God. The third day of Pongal, "Mattu Pongal", is for the worship of the cattle. Cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colours, and garlands of flowers placed around their necks. Pongal is associated with cleaning and burning of rubbish, symbolizing the destruction of evil. All the four days of Pongal have there own individual significance. On the first day, delicious preparations are made and homes are washed and decorated. Doorways are painted with vermilion and sandalwood paste with colourful garlands of leaves and flowers decorating the outside of almost every home. On this day 'Bhogi' or the Rain God is worshipped.
The Legend Behind The CelebrationsThere are few interesting legends behind the Pongal celebrations. The most popular among them related to the celebrations of the first day of the Pongal festival goes like this - Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger to shelter his people and save them from being washed away by the rains and floods.According to another the third day of Pongal is celebrated because Lord Shiva once asked Nandi, his bull, to go to earth and deliver his message to the people - to have an oil bath every day and food once a month. But Nandi got it all mixed up when he delivered the message, and told the people that Shiva asked them to have an oil bath once a month and eat every day. Shiva was displeased, and told Nandi that since the people would now need to grow more grain, Nandi would have to remain on earth and help them plough the fields. Mattu Pongal is also called "Kanu Pongal", and women pray for the welfare of their brothers. This is similar to the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj celebrated in some states of North India. The Tempting RecipesSweet rice, known as "Pongal", is cooked in a new earthenware pot at the same place where puja is to be performed. Fresh turmeric and ginger are tied around this pot. Then a delicious concoction of rice, Moong Dal, jaggery and milk are boiled in the pot on an open fire. This Pongal, according to ritual, is allowed to boil and spill out of the pot. Pongal, once ready, is offered to God first, on a new banana leaf along with other traditional delicacies like Vadas, Payasam, etc. Besides this, sugarcane, grain, sweet potatoes, etc are also offered to the Sun God. Rituals FollowedA typical traditional Pongal celebration has a number of rituals attached to it. The place where the Pongal Puja is to be conducted is cleaned and smeared with dung, a day prior to the festival. People generally choose an open courtyard for this purpose. 'Kolams' (Rangoli) generally drawn with rice flour are special to the occasion. The idea behind using rice flour is that the insects would feed on it and bless the household. At the centre of it a lump of cow dung holds a five-petal pumpkin flower, which is regarded as a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity. In a similar way the houses are also cleaned, painted and decorated. Kolams (Rangoli) are made in the front yards of the houses and new clothes for the whole family are bought to mark the festivities. Even the cattle are gaily caparisoned with beads, bells and flowers-their horns painted and capped with gleaming metals. ProcessionsA procession is taken out from the Kandaswamy (also spelt as Kandaswami) Temple in Chennai. In Madurai, Tanjore and Tiruchirrapalli, where Pongal is known as Jellikattu, bundles of money are tied to the horns of bulls, and villagers try and wrest the bundles from them. Community meals are made from the freshly gathered harvest and enjoyed by the entire village.

The word Pongal literally means the boiling over of the rice in the cooking pot. It is considered to be an auspicious activity in the southern parts of India. Though there is not much known about the history and origin of Pongal, it is assumed that it is a Dravidian harvest festival that is being celebrated from hundreds of years. It is a four days festival in Tamil Nadu, which is celebrated with extreme zeal and fervor throughout the state. Feasting and celebrations form a vital part of the Pongal celebrations. The celebrations of Pongal festival have now also become global with lots of Tamilians residing in various part of the world.Pongal is celebrated in the month of Thai according to the Tamil calendar. It marks the end of winter and the beginning of the harvest season or spring. The date of the Pongal festival remains the same as it is considered according to the solar calendar compared to the other Hindu festivals which are decided according to the lunar calendar. According to the Solar calendar, when the sun enters the Makaram Rashi or the Tropic of Capricorn from the Tropic of Cancer, it marks the beginning of a very auspicious phase in the Hindu culture. It is the phase when sun begins its journey northwards (Uttarayan) for a period of six months as opposed to southwards (Dakshinayan) movement.According to the Gregorian calendar, the Pongal festival has a fixed date of beginning i.e. 14th January. As per Tamil calendar, it celebrated for four continuous days beginning from the last day of Tamil month of Maargazhi (December-January) and lasting up to the third day of Thai. The second of Pongal celebrations is treated as the main Pongal day of Surya Pongal, which marks the beginning of Tamil month of Thai. Apart from socio-geographical significance, the festival also holds scientific as well as eternal significance to it. Scientifically, the festival brings respite to the people as this day onwards the warmth and length of the day increases and that of the night shortens in the Northern Hemisphere. Eternally, as the festival is related to Sun God, this festival has divinity and wisdom attached to it. On the first day, i.e 14th of Januray, the festival starts with the Bhogi Pongal. On this day, the celebrations are limited to the house. On this day, basically the evil spirits are driven out of the home and the entire home is cleaned and whitewashed. All the dirt and waste materials collected from home is burnt into bonfire. On the second day, Surya Pongal, there is commemoration of the Sun god. This is the main day of the celebrations when people wear new clothes and cook food with newly harvested cereals in new pots on new stoves. The third day is Maattu Pongal, which is meant to honor cattle. Pets like cows, buffalo, ox and bullocks are bathed with clean water and worshipped for their contribution in farming and related activities. The festival ends with the fourth day celebrations of Kaanum Pongal.

Pongal 2010

Bhogi Pongal: 14th January.

Surya Pongal: 15th January

Maatu Pongal: 16th January

Kaanum Pongal: 17th January

The word Pongal, in both Telugu and Tamil, signifies the boiling over of the rice in the cooking pot. Though little is known about the origin of Pongal, it is known to a Dravidian harvest festival that has survived for ages. Pongal also marks the beginning of a New Year and is the day to praise and thank God with full devotion, faith and sincerity. The festival covers all living beings, including humans, cattle and birds and crops. Falling just after the winter solstice and a bountiful harvest, Pongal marks the season of celebration and joyous activities and is celebrated continuously for four days.

Bhogi Pongal: The first day of Pongal, known as 'Bhogi Pongal', is a day for family gathering and is dedicated to Lord Indra, the King of the deities and God of the Clouds and Rains. Offerings are made to please him, so that he blesses the devotees with the plentiful harvest. Pongal also signifies the beginning of a New Year, according to the Malayalam calendar. A huge bonfire is lit at home and kept burning throughout the night. Boys beat little buffalo-hide drums, known as 'Bhogi Kottus', whiel lighting the fire and make merry. The houses are then cleaned till they shine and decorated with Kolams, using rice flour. Yellow pumpkin flowers are set in cow-dung balls, in the middle of these designs. The harvest of rice, turmeric and sugarcane is brought in for the next day.

Surya Pongal: The second day of Pongal, known as 'Surya Pongal', is dedicated to the Sun God. Since the word 'Ponga' means 'to boil', representing plentiful and excess yield, a special dish is cooked on this day, in a new mud-pot that comes in innovative shapes and have artistic designs on them, called 'Pongapani'. The special dish is called 'Sarkkarai Pongal' and is offered to Sun God, with sugarcane sticks. A colorful sugarcane market is also set up on this day. It is said that Lord Sundareshwar performed a miracle in the Madurai temple, on this day, and breathed life into a stone elephant that ate sugarcanes. One can see the depiction of the event in the Meenakshi temple.

Mattu Pongal: The third day, known as 'Mattu Pongal', is dedicated to the cattle and other domestic animals. Shepherds pay thanks to their cows and bulls, wash them, paint their horns and cover them with shining metal caps. They are fed 'pongal' and tinkling bells are tied around their neck. Cattle races are also conducted and in the game called 'Manji Virattu', groups of young men chase running bulls. Bull fights called 'Jallikattu' are also arranged at some places, where young men have to lay their hands on the money bags tied to the horns of ferocious bulls single-handedly. Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati are also worshipped on this day. At some places, this day is celebrated as Kanu Pongal, when girls feed colored balls of cooked rice to birds and crows and pray for their brothers' happiness.

Kaanum Pongal: The fourth day of the festival is celebrated as Kaanum Pongal. Kaanum Pongal is known as Karinaal in some parts of Tamil Nadu. Sun God is worshipped on the day. Along with the prasads made for the festival, the deity is also offered Sarkarai Pongal, a sweet dish prepared by using rice and jaggery. In addition to this, sugarcane is also offered to the lord. Thereafter, the Sarkarai Pongal, prasad and sugar cane are offered to the people, who have gathered while performing the rituals. People in Tamil Nadu consider Kaanum Pongal as an auspicious day to visit their long lost friends and far away relatives. The performance of folk dances and folk songs on Kaanum Pongal is part of the celebrations.

Song:

Next time listen to this song "Thai pongalum ponguthu palum ponguthu...". Let me try explain what this means. The mood of the song is during Pongal festival which is THE Harvest festival for Tamils (I think this is the only festival which is celebrated across all relegions as this is actually a farmers festival.). If I say this song is actually praising the river mahanadhi and then-pennai for her motherly affectionate of the southies

..I like the use of the usage of the word "Thennattavar" in the line -

"Intha ponni enbaval thennatavarku anbin annayadi.."

As the expert says most of the cultures breed on the river-bed and this song especially talks more about the Cauvery river and its tributeries to south..as in the following line.

"Muppattan kalam thottu muppoogam yaaraalae.

Kal maedu thaandi varum kaaveeri neeralae..."

Meaning it is this river which is the reason why our life from the ancestral ("muppattan") time is glorifying. - Here muppoogam means three times the usual harvest and hence profit a farmer gets.Next stanza kinds of cultivation typically which ths cauvery enriches..

"Sevvazai sengkarumbu thottam than..yellamae ingirukku edhum illai vattam than..."

Sevvazai - RedPlantain tree and Karumbu refers cane - esply those that needs heavy water. This line says we have all these cultivations are because of this river and hence no worry..And saving the best for the last, the song finishes by saying,

"Intha sorgam enbathu mannil ullathu vaanil illayadi..."

Sorgam - means Heaven. It says Sorgam is not somewhere in sky or some unknown place, but in this soil - the very soil that is enriched by cauvery river.If you keenly observe the movie you can draw parallels between the river cauvery and the protagnaist of the story (Krishnamorrthy). River travels all the rough paths - the mountain the rocks, jungle in its way but only to save the people who are dependendant on it. So do the subject - He undergoes a lot of pain and mental trauma in his life only for their family,kids and their well beings.

Music is composed in a way that you will feel a slight tragic or sad overtone throutout the song..which is also the theme of the movie - Mahanadhi.

Music by Illayaraja and the sung brilliantly by Chitra.Especially the usage of folk instruments like Thabala and corus-hummings like

"..thaya thayya thakka.."

Raja had used the same tune for two other songs - voiced by Kamal himself and an other by SPB, in the same movie but in different situation. In these two other version you will see the over-usage of some sort of guitar, not sure what type of guitar it is, but you will have a feel of something touching your chord.

Pongal Poet :

Pongal thirunaalum,

Thalaipongal thirunalum,

Pongivarum pongal polaEngum

pongattum magizhchiIniya

pongal nalvaazhthukkal!

Udal Kalaipu

Udaluku MattumManadhirku

EndrumThevai Inippu

Ahdai InaippaduThaan Pongalin Sirappu

Iniya Pongal Nalvazhthukkal!

Happy Pongal to all!

We thank sun for burning himself to save us.

We thank plants sacrificing their life for us.

And we thank all the creatures helping us to live in this world for some time.

Pot Rice to Sun God Sugarcane to cow and ox And milk to friends and familyhave a happy pongal and a prosperous year ahead

As you joyfully celebrate the festival of Pongal and welcome the harvest season,

this greeting is being sent your way,

to wish you everything, that the occasion is meant to bring.

Have a Happy Pongal.

Anaivarukkum INIYA PONGAL NAL VAZHTHUKKAL

Pongal Thirunal Ulaga Thamilargalin ore Vizha Uzhavargalin Unnatha Thirunall Kadavulukku Nandri Therivittu Pongalai Kondadungal!

Popular Pongal Songs:

Pongalo PongalPongalo Pongal!

Thai pongal!

karumbu soru yarukku

yenakkusarkarai satham yaruku

ungallukuPongalo Pongal!

Mattu Pongal!

nandasoru yaruku

mattukuPongalo Pongal!

yenna machan paal pongiyacha

pongalo pongal

Thalaivar Pongal Podhuvaaha en manasu thangon

Oru poattiyinnu vandhuputta singon

Unmaya solvaen nallatha seiven

vetri mel vetri varum...

aaduvom paaduvom kondaaduvom

aanandham kaanuvom ennaalumae

Vandhaendaa paal kaaraenad

adaaaaa

Pasumaatta paththi paada poaraen

Oru paattu katti aada poaraen

Pullu kuduththaa paalu kudukkum

unnaala mudiyaathu thambi

Hey Paadhi pulla porakkuthappaaa

Pasumbaala thai paala nambiiii

Sakalakalavallavan

'amman kovil kizhakkale

anna vayal merkale

namma ooru naduvale nikkuthadi

nathu sanam nammai kandu sokkuthadi

angala ammanukku adiyile pongal vacha......'

Thanda NanaThanda nana....

Thanda nana...Thanda naa naa..aaa..

hoiBogi idhu Bogi idhu nandha laalaaaa...

hoi...Bogi idhu Bogi idhu nandha laalaaaa...

hoi...katukuyilu manasukkulla paatukonnum panjamilla paadathaan

kavalaikattu vittuputtu thavilaith thattu thullikittu aadathan

ellorum moththathile sandhosha saththathilea

onnaana naerathile ullasa nenjathilae

Podaa ellam vittuthallu pazhasaiyellam suttuthallu

pudhusaa ippa porandhomunnu ennikollada!!! 2010....

By

T.R.Harihara Sudhan.,