Pongal
Also called Thai Pongal
A Tamil harvest festival where the pot boils over
What it is
Mid-January
Pongal is a four-day harvest festival for Tamil people in Tamil Nadu and in Sri Lanka. It thanks the sun, the cows and the land for the rice harvest. The festival is named after the dish pongal, and the word means 'to boil over.'
How people celebrate
On Bhogi, the first day, people throw old things into a bonfire to start the year fresh.
On the main day, families boil rice, milk and jaggery in a clay pot outside until it spills over, and everyone shouts 'Pongalo Pongal.'
Front yards get covered in kolam, which are designs drawn with rice flour.
On Mattu Pongal, cows get washed, their horns get painted, and they wear bells and garlands.
On the last day, Kaanum Pongal, families go out and visit relatives.
What people eat
- Sakkarai pongal
- Sweet rice and lentils cooked with jaggery, ghee and cashews.
- Ven pongal
- The savory version, with black pepper, cumin and ginger.
- Sugarcane
- People chew on fresh stalks, and they're part of the decorations too.
- Vadai
- A fried lentil snack shaped like a donut.
Did you know?
Jallikattu, a bull-taming sport, is held in parts of Tamil Nadu during Pongal, and Alanganallur near Madurai is known for it.