Every January, Tamil people celebrate happy harvests with the festival of Pongal. The festival is an expression of gratitude -- to the Sun God ‘Surya’, to Mother Nature, to various farm animals, to the community, and all the forces that helped with a bountiful harvest.
‘Pongu’ is Tamil for ‘to boil over’. The festival shares its name with the dish made during celebrations – Pongal is prepared from freshly harvested rice and sweet jaggery. As the Pongal finally boils over the edge of the pot, people yell ‘Pongalo Pongal!’, which means ‘may this rice boil over’.
Pongal is celebrated over multiple days: The first, Bhogi, is celebrated on the last day of the Tamil month of Margazhi. Houses are cleaned, old belongings are discarded and bonfires are lit. People wear new clothes. Prayers are offered to the rain gods, thanking them for a good harvest and praying for the same in the upcoming year. The day focuses on discarding the old and welcoming the new.
The second day, Surya Pongal, is the main festival. Celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai, the day centres on the Sun God. Pongal is made on this day, to joyous chants of ‘Pongalo Pongal’ and other traditional songs. The pongal is offered to deities, then farm animals, shared by the community.
On Mattu Pongal, the third day, people thank their cows. Mattu means cow or cattle, and these mighty creatures are worshipped and sources of wealth. Cows are decorated with kumkumam, manjal (turmeric) and their horns are painted. On this day, traditional games like Jallikattu take place.
Kanum Pongal is the last day of the festival. Kaanum, here, means ‘to visit’. The day centres on community. Sakkarai Pongal, or sweet Pongal is prepared and distributed amongst the community. Traditional songs and dances are performed. Food and sweets are offered to the birds, placed on a turmeric leaf left out in the open.
ϐׁׅ֒ᨵׁׅυׁׅꪀׁׅtׁׅꪱׁׅ⨍υׁׅᥣׁׅ֪ Where I currently live, it's Harvest season and that means celebrating the harvest festival called Pongal; that brings two things to mind - images of luscious paddy fields filled with crop heavily laden with grain and this delicious rice-and-lentil Risotto, sweetened with unprocessed sugar and riddled with Cashews and Raisins tempered in clarified butter, named after the festival it's significantly associated with. It's so deliciously sweet, fulfilling and warming, and it's this beautiful golden color like the rays of the morning sun it's made in honor of. And there's the inspiration for today's palette. Week 3 of the Serenity series and instead of simply doing a fill-in this week, I wanted to dust off my Mandala drawing skills. Here's to making more art that makes the soul happy! Happy Arting, y'all! --- #harvest #food #harvesttime #love #pongal #festival #tamil #tamilnadu #chennai #makarsankranti #pongalcelebration #india #love #pongalopongal #pongalfestival #sankranti #southindianfood #pongalwishes #happy #celebration #pongalfood #pongalkolam #mandala #digitalart #digitalartist #xppen #ibispaintx #artoftheday #artistsoninstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CnvwfzWv46o/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Wishing you a joyous and prosperous Pongal! krishna thulasi pattu is delighted to share in the celebration, and we hope you enjoy the festivities in our outstanding pattu saree.
Wishing you a joyous and prosperous Pongal! krishna thulasi pattu is delighted to share in the celebration, and we hope you enjoy the festivities in our outstanding pattu saree.