Source : INDIATV NEWS
Pongal is a harvest festival that is celebrated in Tamil Nadu. This festival is similar to Makar Sankranti that is celebrated in the northern states. It is a four-day festival that is dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev). This year, Pongal began on January 14 and will end on January 17.
Pongal also marks the movement of the Sun towards the north which is also celebrated Uttarayan in Gujarat. The four days of Pongal are known as Bhogi Pongal, Surya Pongal, Maatu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal. The name Pongal is derived from the name of a dish of the same name that is made and eaten during the festival.
Today marks the second day of Pongal which is the most important day of the four-day festival. This day is known as Surya Pongal. Read on to know more about Surya Pongal.
Surya Pongal marks the first day of the auspicious Thai month. On this day, people pray to Surya Dev for prosperity and thank him for the harvest. People also worship Sun’s consorts, Chaya and Samgnya on this day.
The day also marks the Sun’s journey towards the north which heralds the beginning of spring. Surya Pongal is marked by elaborate celebrations not just in homes but also in offices.
People make ‘kolam’ in the front doorway of their homes and offices. Kolam is made with coloured rice flour and sometimes, it takes several hours to make kolam owing to some intricate designs.
On the day of Surya Pongal, it is important to cook the new rice. Every house cooks a pot of new rice with milk and when the milk boils over the pot, family members shout “Pongal-o-Pongal”. This is then offered to the Sun God and later eaten by family members.
Food is an important part of Pongal celebrations. The cooked rice is then used to make a dish called Pongal which includes sugar and dal. There are different varieties of Pongal that are made and these include venpongal and chakra Pongal. Venpongal is eaten with brinjal, sambar, vadai, idli and other accompaniments.
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SOURCE : INDIATV NEWS