Essay:Pongal

Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu.Pongal falls in the mid of January every year.This festival lasts for four days.The Sun,the earth and the cattle are worshipped by farmers as thanks giving for a bounteous harvest.

During Pongal, the homes are cleaned and adorned with geometrical pat­tern drawn with rice powder. The word Pongal literally has two connotations. Firstly it is the name of the special dish cooked on this day. Secondly the word Ponga means boil. So the word Pongal means that which is overflowing. 
The festival is celebrated for four days. On, the first day, Bhogi, the old clothes and materials are thrown away and fired, marking the beginning of a new life. The second day, the Pongal day, is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel - a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal. People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each other's homes, and exchange greetings. The third day, Mattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cows and buffaloes, as they are used to plough the lands. On the last day, Kanum Pongal, people go out to picnic. 

  

Pongal is celebrated throughout the Tamil Nadu state. Even the adjoining border districts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh share and enjoy this festival. When Pongal is being celebrated in Tamil Nadu, at the same time people of the North and Maharashtra celebrate Makar Sakranti.

Thus, Pongal is a festival which brings new hopes and new zeal among the people of Tamil Nadu. It brightens their life.