India
is overflowing with its vast cultural heritage, the varied customs and rituals,
and the stern beliefs of the people of India. India is a country where the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians, the Sikhs and all other communities share
the joy of their festivals with each other.
The time is indeed modern, yet 70%
of the people believe in old rituals and customs. In ancient times, people used
to worship and pray to the water, the light, trees, certain animals like cow or
snakes etc. This was done by many of the people then, but today these are
believed only in few villages where the people are miles away from the light of
knowledge. In villages where there are shortages of food, the people celebrate
the day when the harvest is reaped. As their life mainly depends on
agriculture, they offer a special thanks to God by worshipping the sun, the
earth and the cattle. The festival has been named 'pongal', which is basically
in origin, a Dravidian festival, celebrated in the mid of January, specially in
Tamil Nadu. In this festival, they show their gratefulness to God and they
prepare a special sweet dish, which they call by the name of the festival. Like
every other festival, this too has a legend of its own.
Pongal is the day when
Lord Krishna drove away the pride and arrogance of the honoured Lord Indra, who
had once attempted to flood the land with heavy thunder and rains when he was
stopped from being worshipped. After he was forgiven by Lord Krishna, he was
worshipped again by the people and the festival was in his name. The word
'pongal' has arrived from 'ponga', which means 'boiling'.So according to the
people, when the harvest overflows or boils with excess, they call it Pongal. It
shows a sign of farewell to the old crops and pave way for the new. The
starting of a new season, a new set of crops, is almost like starting a new
life. The festival of Pongal starts and goes on for four consecutive days,
where in the first day they worship the God of clouds and rains(in Indian
mythology, this God is named Lord Indra).In the second day, they worship the
sun. The third day is kept for the cattle and the fourth, for the birds. This
is also a day when they bless each other and pray for one's happiness, as
happiness is what matters to man. No matter where the world reaches tomorrow,
no matter whoever we become, the traditions and cultures of India will always
be in the minds of man. India being primarily an agricultural country most of
the celebrations revolve around good harvests.
Pongal is a harvest festival
celebrated by Tamils (people living in the state of Tamil Nadu). Tamilians have
settled all over the world –from America, to Africa, to Europe to different
countries in Asia and even reached the shores of Australia. With the presence
of Tamil population all over the world, Pongal is now a globally celebrated
festival. Tamilians have a major presence in almost fifty countries of the
world. Although it started as a farmer’s festival, today it has become a
festival that is celebrated not only in the rural and urban areas of Tamil Nadu
but in also the far flung areas of the world. Pongal is the only festival that
falls on a particular date i.e. the 14th of January every year and falls on the
first day of the Tamil month of "Thai ".
Traditionally, Pongal is celebrated
over a four day period from the 13th to the 16th of January but the Pongal (a
sweet dish) is made on the 14th.Pongal actually means “boiling over”. Pongal is
also the name of a sweet dish made from all the prominent new harvests of the
season. It contains rice, jaggery, cardamoms and cashew nuts all newly
harvested at this time. A good produce brings along prosperity and hence Pongal
celebration is marked by unusual gaiety. Tamils draw rangolis at the doorstep
and cook the Pongal in an earthen pot under the sun as it is a prasadam being
offered to Surya, the Sun god as gratitude for the harvest. It is times for
family get togethers.
Tamils outside India celebrate Pongal to retain their distinctive
culture in a foreign land. Tamilians are joined by different states in India in
celebrating Pongal. It is an almost pan-India celebration. In Tamil Nadu and
Sri Lanka it is the Thai Pongal, in Andhra
Pradesh,Bengal,Kerala,Bihar,Goa,Karnataka, Orissa ,Madhya
Pradesh,Maharashtra,Manipur and Uttar Pradesh it is Makar Sankranth or
Sankranth. Gujarat and Rajasthan celebrate it as Uttarayan, Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana and Punjab celebrate it as Lohri while Assam celebrates it as Magh Bihu
or Bhogali Bihu.I feel there is no other festival in India as symbolic of its
“oneness “as is this festival of happiness .
