In the state of Tamil Nadu, the Pongal festival is observed with considerable splendour and pomp. One of the most significant occasions of the year for the locals is a celebration that honours the harvest season. People are immersed in the four-day celebrations, doing everything from adorning their houses to buying new attire, making festive fare, and exchanging Tamil Pongal wishes.
As a result, if you're interested in learning more about Pongal. Here is a little introduction to the world of Pongal.
The Pongal Festival is celebrated in what ways?
One of the largest celebrations for local farmers. They commemorate all of their labour in the fields during Pongal. It goes without saying that a single day of celebration is insufficient. As a result, the pongal festival is a four-day event, with each day having a distinct meaning.
Let's examine what each of these four days means now.
Day 1 Pongal Festival - Bhogi Pongal
It is only fitting that the first day of the pongal festival be set aside to show reverence to Lord Indra, the God of rain and the ruler of the clouds in Hindu mythology, since the rain gods are to be praised first and foremost for a prosperous crop season.
People make sure to clean and maintain the cleanliness of their homes on this day. This not only gives your surrounds a thorough cleansing, but it also purges any bad energy that could be building up in your home.
Families undertake the Bhogi Mantalu rite in the evening, and homes often have interestingly designed rangoli for pongal kolam at the door. Young girls participate in a unique rite that involves dancing around a campfire while singing hymns to Lord Indra and expressing gratitude for the springtime and, more significantly, for their current harvest.
Day 2 Pongal Festival - Surya Pongal
The most significant day of the pongal celebration is day two. The primary ceremony of the pongal celebration is carried out on this specific day. Women assemble and prepare the distinctive pongal meal outside. As you are aware, the meal is primarily prepared by combining milk and rice in an earthen pot. This is the sacrifice made to Lord Surya, the Sun God.
Additionally, the clay pot used to cook the pongal is frequently adorned. As the stew cooks, you'll see a garland of leaves made of turmeric. Sugarcane, bananas, and coconut are some of the additional offerings presented to the Sun God.
Women frequently congregate nearby and sing hymns and thanks to the Gods for a successful crop as the food is being made. While doing the suryanamaskar, the males are observed engaging in various rites that entail repeating holy mantras.
Tamils also desire for a new pongal kolam and to use banana leaves to decorate their homes.
The pongal is presented to the Gods, primarily Lord Surya and Lord Ganesha, once it is finished. And occasionally even given to the bulls and oxen. Then it is given to family members in turn.
Day 3 Pongal Festival - Mattu Pongal
• The third day of the Pongal celebration is devoted to Mattu, which means cow. After all, the cow provides farmers and their families with milk, while the bull and oxen aid in field preparation and are useful throughout the harvest.
• On this day, cows and bulls are painted and given bells as part of the festivities. To grant them significant, essential, and authentic Tamil pongal wishes, they are honoured with beads, turmeric water, and flower garlands around their necks.
• The enjoyable part of this day is when the cows and animals are brought to the town centre after being fed pongal. Men frequently race their bulls, and the streets resound with joy, amusement, and other positive emotions.
• After the festivities have calmed down a bit, a pooja is performed to purge the livestock of any potential evil.
Day 4 Pongal Festival - Kaanum Pongal
Kaanum Pongal, the final day of the pongal celebrations, is all about wrapping things up and getting together with friends and extended family. Given that the word "kanum" means "to meet or to visit," it is customary for individuals to visit their loved ones while sending Tamil Pongal greetings.
On this day, the Kanu Pidi is also performed. It is an old ritual in South India to wash turmeric leaves and scatter them on the ground. Then, on top of these turmeric leaves, all the remaining pongal and other food that was used as an offering the previous days is spread out and put outside. The major reason for doing this is to feed the birds and appreciate what they did throughout the growth season.
This is often done by the ladies of the household in the early morning without taking a shower or washing their hair.
In 2023, when is Pongal?
This year's Pongal festival will run from January 15 until January 18, 2023.
5 Ideas for Pongal Festival Decorations
Here are a few decoration-related suggestions to assist you if you're planning to celebrate the pongal festival for the first time in your new house. Read on:
The Pongal Kolam
Kolam is a crucial component of the pongal festival's décor. Traditionally, ladies decorated their home's entryway by adorning it with traditional kolam patterns as soon as the sun rose. According to legend, doing so will bring riches, luck, and fortune to your home.
The bull, farmers, a pot of pongal, sugarcane, and the sun are all appropriate depictions of the event that may be used in pongal kolam designs. You may build something like to the kolam pattern seen in the image above by drawing inspiration from it.
Decoration for the Sugarcane Pongal Festival
During the pongal festival, sugarcane makes a reputation for itself by sharing its sweetness and delight with the world. Therefore, if you want to keep your décor simple, inexpensive, and modest, using sugarcane as decoration is a fantastic choice.
If you can find some tall sugarcane stalks, position them in the front of your home. Alternatively, for a more traditional setup, you may make a tent-like structure out of three stalks and place the pongal pot in the middle.
Flower Garlands Decor
Flower Bouquets Decor Flowers enhance the charm of any space. Therefore, it is always a good idea to decorate your home for special occasions, but this is especially true during the Pongal celebration. A basic décor pattern, like the one shown in the image above, works just as well and just enhances the beauty of your house. You do not need to go all out and be too detailed in your presentation.
Even if they aren't the most typical Tamil Pongal wishes, they nonetheless provide your room a festive atmosphere and just increase its beauty.
Kites for Decorating the Pongal Festival
Kites are popular during the Makar Sankranti festivals in the states of Maharashtra, Telangana, and Odisha, even though they are not a part of the traditional pongal celebrations. If you want to create a more diversified theme for the greatest spring and harvest celebration, kites are a terrific addition.
Decorative earthen pots for the Pongal festival
Families prepare the rice and milk dish outside their home on the main day of the pongal celebration. Earthen pots are therefore important to the pongal celebration and make excellent décor props at this time.
You can choose to purchase basic pots from the market and hand paint them, as seen in the example in the image above. Your pot painting might include everything from a floral pattern to more traditional images like banana leaves, sugarcane, and more. Later, to create the pongal look, you can fill it with cotton.
Summing Up Pongal Festival Celebration at Home
The harvest season is commemorated at the pongal festival. According to Hindu mythology, the four-day celebration honours Lord Indra and Lord Surya for their assistance in producing fruitful harvests. In the aforementioned page, you can read about the significance of each of the festival's four days as well as what inspires the celebration and how Tamil Pongal greetings are sent. In 2023, how would you want to observe the pongal festival. Comment below with your thoughts and let us know.
Source From:- navimumbaihouses
