Pongal is also known as Thai Pongal since it arrives in the Thai month as per the Tamil calendar. In North India, it is also known as Makara Sankranthi since the Sun enters the Makar Rashi or the Capricorn zodiac sign. The day is also believed to be the morning of Devas after a long night of six months.
In the northern hemisphere, this is a signal of the end of Winters and the beginning of Spring. The period is also called UttarayanPunyakalam and is considered very auspicious. It is also said that if anyone passes away during Uttarayana, he attains salvation. The same legend is mentioned in the Epic Mahabharata when Bheeshma waited for the dawn of Uttarayana to give up his life.
This way, Pongal holds a lot of significance in every region of India. Every community has its own reasons to celebrate this duration, even if the name differs. Pongal is particularly celebrated in Tamil Nadu among Tamil Hindus. People rejoice once they harvest the crop in the fields. They celebrate it to express their gratitude toward God, like Lord Indra, who makes the clouds rain so the seeds can become sprouts and crops can grow to become grains.
They thank the ecosystem, the mother nature, and the universe for making such suitable conditions to grow food. In the four days celebration of Pongal, the first day is known as Bhogi, which is the day of worshipping Lord Indra. People also clean their homes and separate all useless stuff to disown. They also collect wood and agricultural wastage that they later burn in the bonfire during the celebration.
Lord Indra is honored by worshipping as he is the Deva who provides rain. During Pongal worshipping, Sun also takes place since, without Sun, life on Earth won’t be possible. Also, Sun is worshipped for the mythology that it rises in heaven for Devas after a night of six months.
The second day is Perum Pongal, on which the Sun Puja happens, and people make the sweet called Pongal. They set up the fire outside or near the entrance and place a clay pot onto it. In this pot, they coil the rice since rice is the main ingredient in Pongal. With rice, they blend jaggery, cardamom, and moong dal too to enhance the taste along with other seasonings.
People draw kolams at the entrance of their home using rice flour and border the design with red clay.
The third day is Mattu Pongal that is celebrated to pay respect to the cattle. Farmers always take the assistance of the bulls and cows in the field. That is why they dedicate this day to worship these animals. Farmers also worship the prime tools they use for agriculture. The entire cattle gets a cleanup, and the animals are adorned with garlands, bells, and painted horns.
A legend associated with the third day is that Shiva once told his mount Nandi to deliver a message on Earth. Shiva told Nandi to ask people to have an oil bath daily and eat once a month. Nandi, however, due to lack of attention, asked people to have a bath once a month, and eat daily.
This made Shiva curse Nandi and sent him on Earth to help farmers plow their fields and produce food more efficiently. Since that time, the bulls are used in the fields as per the mythology.
These animals of the cattle are fed too with plenty of Thai Pongal. In rural areas, people often gather outside and enjoy animals adorned with different materials. In Tamil Nadu, manji-virattu is held in the evening, which is like a bull fight. A bag of coins is tied to the horns of the bull, and whoever person tames or controls that bull would get that bag of coins as a reward.
However, the bull is never killed, unlike the Spanish bull fight. In fact, as per the Tamil literature, whoever calms the bull gets the hand of a fair maiden. In Hindu mythology, even Krishna is believed to defeat seven bulls before marrying Nappinnai. However, the practice is much less recognized in urban areas.
People celebrate the fourth day as Kannum Pongal. Married women pray for their brothers and family for their well-being and prosperity.
