When was Pongal in 2024?
When was Pongal?
Jan 16, 2024
India is a colorful country with varied festivals that are celebrated with lots of enthusiasm and vigor. As India houses people of multifarious castes, creeds, and religions, a wide variety of festivals are commemorated with heartfelt devotion and respect. Among them, Pongal is quite significant. Pongal which coincides with Makara Sankranthi is a harvest festival that is celebrated by Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This article talks about when Pongal was celebrated in the years.
Pongal in Tamil means to “boil over”. The month of January witnesses this beautiful and vibrant 4 day festival in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This boil over refers to the abundance of harvest and happiness that is associated with the festival of Pongal. This special occasion is also known as Tai Pongal as this festival marks the beginning of the Tamil month of Tai.
Each day of this four-day festival holds a special significance. Although, city people usually only celebrate the second day with special gusto. The first day is called Bhogi Pongal. This is celebrated to worship Lord Indra, the rain god. Indra is revered because it is believed he bestows good harvest. On this day, people ritualistically discard or destroy old clothes into a bonfire made of wood and cow-dung cakes. This is symbolic of ‘Thai.’ ‘Thai’ marks the start of a new cycle, a new year in January. In ‘Thai,’ people draw ‘Kolams,’ which are floral designs made of rice made in front of houses. People also perform special offerings before they cut the paddy and smear their tools with sandalwood paste and worship the earth and sun. Moreover, people get ready for the next day by bringing fresh harvests of rice, turmeric, and sugarcane. In addition, there is a lot of merry-making, singing, and dancing. Girls perform dances and sing songs in God’s praise, spring and harvest. You can share in the joy with your loved ones by sending gifts to India.
The festivities of Pongal spread over 4 days. These four days are known as Bhogi Pongal, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal. The rituals followed during Pongal are separate for each day. The 1st day involves worshipping Lord Indra - the Hindu god of rain. The second day is dedicated to the Sun God and is considered to be the most important day of this festival. The third day is for worshiping the cattle and the final day is spent praying for the men, mostly the brothers by the women of most households. In 2022 this special celebration will commence on the 14h of January and will end on the 17th of the month.
Pongal, or Tai Pongal as it is traditionally known, is the popular harvest festival of South India. It is celebrated specifically in Tamil Nadu. It is observed at the start of the month Tai according to the Tamil solar calendar. It is dedicated to the Hindu sun god, Surya, and corresponds to Makar Sankranti. According to tradition, the festival marks the end of the winter solstice. This is followed by the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards. Thereafter, the sun enters the zodiac Makara (Capricorn). Pongal is celebrated over four days, which are called Bhogi Pongal, Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal. However, the main celebrations are observed on Surya Pongal. In 2021, the festival falls between January 13-16. Surya Pongal falls on January 14. Indulge in the joyous spirit of Pongal by sending gifts to your loved ones in India and spreading the love.
Pongal is usually a four-day long festival that always falls in the month of January. This is a harvest festival that is celebrated in the rest of India as Makar Sankranti. It is a cultural occasion in Tamil Nadu state and is celebrated with lots of enthusiasm. On Pongal, a sweet dish is made which contains rice, milk, raisins, and other items, which is dedicated to the Sun God and is served in banana leaves. The four days of Pongal are named as follows - Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Maatu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal, each of these days has its own set of rituals to follow. On this festival surprise your family and friends with gifts that will make Pongal an eventful day for you and your loved ones.
The festival of Pongal is celebrated in the southern part of India and also in Sri Lanka and other countries. This festival goes back to very ancient times and evidence of the celebration can be found more than a thousand years ago. The term ‘Pongal’ refers to the overflowing of festivity that takes place during this time of enjoyment. Many Indian gifts are exchanged among friends and family to make the celebration grander. Pongal is celebrated in the Tamil month Thai and it is the first day of this month that is the tenth.
Ever since early man started learning the art of growing crops, agricultural thanksgiving festivals have featured prominently in the various civilizations of mankind. Pongal is one such harvest festival that is celebrated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as among the Tamil diaspora living in various countries like Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Singapore, Malaysia, US, etc. It is celebrated over a time span of four days. According to the Gregorian Calendar, this festival is celebrated from the 13th to the 16th of January.
Pongal is considered to be an auspicious time to buy household goods. It is generally a 4-day affair in Tamil Nadu. The first day is known as Bhogi when people burn old household items in a symbolic gesture to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new. A new cycle is welcomed. The second day, known as Surya Pongal or Perum, is considered to be the most important day. People offer their prayers to the Sun god on this day. People generally wear new clothes to mark the occasion and women and girls decorate their houses with kolam motifs made of clay and chalk. The third day is known as Mattu Pongal and cattle are worshipped on this day. It is believed that the worship of cattle will yield a good harvest. The last day is known as Kanum Pongal and it is a day to relax as people spend time with their friends and families. Picnics are very common on this day of the four-day festival.
Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated in the southern part of India, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Many Indians living abroad send gifts to India to their friends and family on this auspicious festive occasion. The festival of Pongal is celebrated for four days. Pongal is one of the rare Indian festivals that is celebrated according to the Solar calendar. The astronomical significance of this festival is that it marks the beginning of the Sun’s northward movement for six months. According to Hinduism, this period is considered to be very auspicious. The auspicious occasion of Pongal is celebrated throughout India but in different names. In Punjab this holy day is celebrated as - 'Lohri'. In Assam, this festival is celebrated as 'Bhogali Bihu'. In states like - Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, the festival is known as 'Makar Sankranti'.
Pongal is the harvest or the Thanksgiving festival of south India. The festival is celebrated with much pomp and show in the southern parts of India, especially in Tamil Nadu. The festival is celebrated under different names in various parts of India such as 'Bhogali Bihu' in the North Eastern State of Assam, 'Makar Sankranti' in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar & Bengal, and 'Lohri' in Punjab. This harvest festival is related to the annual cycle of seasons. It marks the reaping of the harvest as well as the withdrawal of the southeast monsoon from south India. The festival is commemorated in the month of January after the winter solstice. As per the Tamil calendar, Pongal starts from the last day of Maargazhi and continues till the third day of Thai.
The festival Pongal is directly associated with the annual cycle of seasons. It not only marks the gathering of the harvest but also the withdrawal of the southeast monsoons in the southernmost part of India. Just as the cycle of season withers out the old by ushering a new beginning, the advent of Pongal perishes’ up the old and outdated by welcoming new crops. Pongal is also accompanied by gifting and merrymaking. Irrespective of age, family status, and social standing, people celebrate it wholeheartedly by exchanging pleasantries. Thus Pongal 2012 is sure to bring relief and moments of boundless happiness to the family.
Although Pongal was originally a festival for the farming community, today it is celebrated among rank and file. Though celebrated in a diverse way, the meaning and significance remain the same. In south India, it is celebrated as Pongal, Bihu in Assam, Sankranti in the Central part of India, and Lohri in the northern part of India.
