II Phase of Harvest Festival...!!

Thai Pongal...

The Harvest festival celebrated in South India is Thai Pongal. It is celebrated at the end of the harvest season. This festival is celebrated by the Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the Indian Union territory of Pondicherry and Sri Lanka.

Pongal marks the beginning of the northward journey of the sun from its southern most limit, a movement traditionally referred as Uttarayana. 

It is coincide with the festival of Makar Sankranti.

Basically the  " Pongal " refers itself  to the " boiling Over". Pongal is also the name of the sweetened dish which is ritually Consumed on the day of festival.

In the days of festivals Banana leaves and Mango leaves are the main stuff of decoration in the houses of Tamilians and Rice flour is used to draw a decoration patterns on the floors.


Traditional Dish of Pongal:

Pongal  $weet Dish 

A traditional Pongal dish which is prepared from rice and milk. This Pongal sweet dish include cardamom, jaggery, raisins, mung dal, and cashew nuts. This dish is prepared in sunlight and usually in the porch. The tradition behind this is , this dish is dedicated to the Sun God, Surya. The influencing part of this dish is , It is prepared in clay pot which is known as Kollam. It is decorated with coloured patterns. This dish can be served in both the ways Sweet and Salty.

 The amazing fact about this dish is, It is served on Banana leaves.

Maatu Pongal / Mattu Pongal:

Maatu Pongal/ Mattu Pongal is intended to demonstrate our recognition and affection to castle and decorate them with garlands, apply kungumam (Kumkum) on their foreheads and are feed with a mixture of venn pongal, jaggery, honey, banana, other fruits.

Maatu Pongal / Mattu Pongal is a festival celebrated together by the villagers to thanks the cows for their favour in farming. People bathe their castles and paint their horns with colorful paints.

Along with all these Pongal festival There is a 1 more festival is known as Kanu Pidi. Kanu Pidi is a tradition followed by the females of the South . This festivals is basically celebrate for the well being of brother . Women of the family place different kinds of coloured rice, cooked vegetables, banana, and sweet pongal on a ginger leaf and turmeric leaf and invite the cows, Which descend in hordes to share and enjoy the " Kanu Pidi " feast.




At the people torch out of coconut leaves and burn with fire and run around castles thrice and run to the border of the village and drop their, this ritual is performed to remove all Drishti.

Kaanum Pongal:

The word Kaanum Pongal means " to view" . People visit relatives and friends to enjoy the festive season. Basically this day is celebrated to thanks all the relatives and friends for their support in the Harvest.

The main fact behind this festival is, this festival is started as a farmer's festival , today it has become a national festival for all Tamils irrespective of their origins or even religion.

In Andhra Pradesh Mukkanuma, the final day of Sankranthi festival is celebrated to worship castle. Mukkanuma is famous among the non- vegetarians of society. People do not eat any non- vegetarian dishes during the first three days of the festivals and eat it only on the day of Mukkanuma.