Pongal
Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in India. It is a harvest festival celebrated on 14th January every year. The festival is dedicated to Sun god and spans over the course of over four years. The word Pongal means ‘to boil’ and it is a means to be thankful to nature for the food provided to us in the form of crops. Pongal marks the onset of harvesting season in South India.
?Pongal thirunaalam
Thaipongal thirunaalam
Pongivarum pongal pola
Engum pongatum magirchi
Iniya pongal nalvazhthukal.
Wish you a very Happy pongal.?????https://t.co/S9FOufdx9R???
— Pongal Festival 2022 (@alleventsio) January 14, 2022
Pongal Images
You must have seen Pongal images shared on this day depicting different activities including people worshipping cows, decorating home and sharing sweets with each other. Here is a description of the four days of Pongal and how it is celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Bhogi Festival – The First Day of Pongal
Bhogi is the first day of Pongal,
பழையன கழிதலும் புதியன புகுதலும் நலமேயாம் வாழையடி வாழையாய் வந்த நல்லதோர் முதுமொழியாம் தைமாதமதில் தைத்திருநாள் வேலை நாமெழுந்து நீராடி நாற்காலி பொழுதினிலே பொங்கல் விழா தனிப்பெரும் திருவிழா கோலம் பூணுகிறது தைப்பொங்கல் திருவிழா என்பது ஒரு சமய விழா அல்ல தமிழரின் பண்பாட்டு விழா தமிழரின் தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு கொண்டாடும் நாள் அனைவருக்கும் இனிய பொங்கல் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்.
Pazhaiyana Kalithalum Puthiyana Puguthalum Nalameyam Vazhaiyadi Vazhayaai Vantha Nallathor Muthumozhiyaam Thaimaathamathil Thaithirunaal Pongalathil Vidiyum Velai Naamezhunthu Neeraadi Narkaalai Pozhuthinile Pongal Vizha Thaniperum Thiruvizhaa Kolam Poonugirathu Thaipogal Thiruvizhaa Enbathu Oru Samaya Vizhaa Alla Tamizharin Panpaattu Vizha Tamizharin Tamil Puthaandu Kondadum Naal Anaivarukkum Iniya Pongal Nalvazhthukkal
Bhogi Wishes
Bhogi festival is the first day of the festival of Pongal and it is celebrated to please Indra, the god of rain. On this day, people share Bhogi wishes with each other and burn useless and worn out items in a huge bonfire at night. You can find Bhogi wishes on the internet for sharing with your friends and family members on this auspicious day. A ceremony called Bhogi Pallu is observed in which fruits of the harvest of the season and flowers are collected.
Bhogi Images
Along with preparing delicious food items, native Tamilians and Andhraites also celebrate the festival by sharing Bhogi Images. If you want to convey your wishes to your friends on the first day of Pongal, you can do so by sending them Bhogi images by downloading them from the internet.
Thai Pongal
Thai Pongal is the main day of the four-day-long harvest festival. On this day, milk is boiled in a pot and freshly harvested rice are added to it when it boils and overflows out of the pot. This dish is then served with sweets like murukku, vadai and paayasam.
Pongal Kolam
Pongal Kolam or rangolis are also designed on this day. You can take inspiration from Pongal Rangoli Kolam designs online for making unique rangolis. During celebrations, south Indians recite “Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum” which translates to “The commencement of Thai paves the way for new opportunities.” Tamilians also celebrate the festivals by decorating their homes by using mango leaves and rangolis are made using rice floor on the doorstep. Youngsters are presented gifts by the elder people of family.
Mattu Pongal
Mattu Pongal is the third day of the festival and is celebrated after Thai Pongal. On this day of the festival, cattles are worshipped for providing fertilizers, dairy products, transportation and labor for plowing in fields.
Mattu Pongal Images
Mattu Pongal Images with thankful messages to cows, buffaloes and oxen are shared amongst friends and family members. You can search and download Mattu Pongal images from the internet to share with your loved ones. On this day celebrants decorate their cattle with garlands and feed them dishes like jaggery, banana, honey and Venn Pongal as a token of respect towards them.
Jallikattu Images
On the day of Mattu Pongal, residents of Tamil Nadu practice JalliKattu, a type of sports in which men attempt to grab the hump on the bull’s back. If you want to get more idea of the event, you can browse the Jallikattu images on the internet in which you will see men attempting to hold on the hum of wild bulls. It is a dangerous event and has recently attracted attention from the law enforcement agencies where many advocated to stop the practice as it is seen as a form of cruelty against bulls. You see from the Jallikattu images that the practice leads to injury of many participants every year.
On Mattu Pongal, South Indians also burn coconut leaves and then carry the torched leaves around the cattle three times. This ritual is done to remove any evil influence and to bring happiness and prosperity to farming. To celebrate Mattu Pongal, many share Pongal Images and Jallikattu images inscribed with joyful wishes and happy messages.
Kaanum Pongal
Kaanum Pongal is the last day of the Pongal festival which is celebrated very enthusiastically in the Southern part of Indian subcontinent. Kaanum Pongal marks the end of the Pongal festival and on this day family reunions are held. Kaanum means “to visit” in English and therefore families visits are organized. Special visits are paid by brothers to their married sisters and gifts are presented to them out of affection. On this day, it is a ritual for landlords to present gifts in the form of food, clothes, money, and other useful items to tenants.
Kaanum Pongal Images
Relatives share Kaanum Pongal images to celebrate this last day of Pongal. You can find animated Kannum Pongal images on the internet if you want to share ceremonious messages with your loved ones. In Andhra Pradesh, the last day of Pongal is known as Mukkanuma. It is celebrated by worshipping cattle and is quite popular amongst non-vegetarians. The celebrants eat delicious non-vegetarian dishes on this day. On the other three days, most people refrain from eating non-vegetarian food, saving them for the last day.
Final Thoughts
Pongal is one of the biggest festivals of Hindus and is pompously celebrated in South India. The four-day long harvest festival is believed to be dated 2000 years old and the first records of its celebration are found during the reign of the might Chola empire. The festival is majorly celebrated to thank the God of Sun and the God of air for showering their blessings on crops. People pray for the better yielding of crops and the festival falls in the period of Uttarayan Punyakalam which is considered as an auspicious period in Hindu mythology. Schools, colleges and offices in the Southern part of India observe holidays on the four days of the festival. During the festive season, homes and decorated with different natural items and people pray for each other’s wellbeing. In India where the majority of the population still depends on agriculture for their bread and butter, Pongal is one of the festivals where Hindus thank the gods for their natural gifts.