Pongal in Pondicherry | Pongal Festival in Pondichery | Pondicherry’s Pongal Festival

Pongal is one of the main festivals in the southern states of India, and Pondicherry is not the exceptional one. Pongal is celebrated with great pomp and grandeur in this little piece of land. Pongal Festival, Pongal Festival in Pondicherry, Pondicherry’s Pongal Festival, Festivals in Pondicherry, agricultural activities, Southeast monsoons The first day of the New Year is observed with great celebration. Pondicherry is no exceptional and this makes it more special and significant among the other festivals of Pondicherry.

Pongal is the festival of New Year in the southern states of India. The state is a mixture various cultures and the local people observe this festival with great splendor. Pongal is the onset of a New Year and in this union territory welcomes this fresh New Year with various traditional customs. Pongal is celebrated from 13th to 16th January. The first day of the festival is known as Bhogi day. During this celebration the people of Pondicherry decorate their house with various patterns named as Kolum and welcome a new year with new clothes.

The second day is named as Surya day. The day begins with the worship of the Sun god. Pongal Festival, Pongal Festival in Pondicherry, Pondicherry’s Pongal Festival, Festivals in Pondicherry, agricultural activities, Southeast monsoons The days are celebrated with various recipes and various other customs like visiting near and dear ones’ place.

Time to celebrate

Pongal is celebrated with great pleasure and this grand occasion tales place in the 13th to 16th January of every year. Pondicherry takes a different shape when she looks wonderful with great decoration and air of celebration all over the place.

Different Fairs and festivals of Pondicherry:

It is remarkable fact about Indian festivals is that a majority of festivals has a close association with the agricultural activities of the people. Pongal is one such festival that has assumed the dimension of a very popular festival in Tamil Nadu and other places in South India.

Pongal Festival is celebrated to mark the withdrawal of the Southeast monsoons as well as reaping of the harvest. Pongal Festival is celebrated with tremendous enthusiasm in Pondicherry.

During the Pongal Festival the houses in Pondicherry are cleaned and embellished, generally with exquisite and brightly colored patterns. A long- established ritual is followed by burning old clothes and mats. Lip smacking dishes are prepared at home. Pongal Festival, Pongal Festival in Pondicherry, Pondicherry’s Pongal Festival, Festivals in Pondicherry, agricultural activities, Southeast monsoons The famous among them is the pot-pourri of rice, jaggery, sugar and raisins, served in brand new pots. The cattle are bathed and adorned with flowers and beads and their horns are brightly painted. Even the cattle are fed the Pongal dish. People visit each other's house to exchange greetings.

Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festival of South India, mainly Tamil Nadu. Pongal falls in the mid-January every year and marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayan - sun's journey northwards. Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include drawing of Kolam, swinging & cooking of delicious Pongal.

Surya Pongal Puja Process

The Sun God is offered boiled milk and jaggery. A plank is placed on the ground, a large image of the Sun God is sketched on it and Kolam designs are drawn around it. In the centre of the plank is drawn a large figure of the Sun God with his effulgent rays. The "Puja" of the Sun God starts after the auspicious moment of the birth of the new month Thai. Prayers are rendered to the Sun God to seek his benedictions.

Pondicherry’s Pongal Festival,The Sun God is given pride of place during Pongal. In the villages, people gather in the courtyard and prepare the Pongal in the open. The pot in which the Pongal is cooked is decorated with flowers, sugarcane pieces, turmeric plant etc. The first offering is made to the Sun.

 

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