Pongal (Tamil: பொங்கல்) is a Harvest Festival, mostly celebrated in south India. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over." Traditionally celebrated at harvest time, it is a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest. Pongal is celebrated by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as Tamils worldwide, including those in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore. The festival has been in practice for some 5,000 years.^{[citation needed]} The Tamil people are an ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... Thai (தை), is the tenth month of the Tamil Calendar. ... It has been suggested that Puthandu be merged into this article or section. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Pongal is a popular South Indian dish. ... Tamil (தமிழ் ) is a classical language and one of the major languages of the Dravidian language family. ... Crops have been harvested by hand throughout most of human history. ... A celebration is a joyous observation on the occasion of a special event: - Personal Level birth, etc. ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... The Tamil people are an ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ...

While Pongal is predominantly a Tamil festival, it is also celebrated in several other provinces with different names. In Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka, the harvest festival Sankranthi is celebrated. In northern India, Pongal is called Makara Sankranti. In Maharashtra and Gujarat, it is celebrated on the date of the annual kite flying day, Uttarayan. It also coincides with the bonfire and harvest festival in Punjab and Haryana, known as Lohri. People of all relegion celebrate pongal festival in India. The Tamil people are an ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... Andhra Pradesh  : (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్, Urdu: آندھرا پردیش, IPA: ), is a state in South India. ...   (IPA: ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of south-western India. ... Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Sankranthi, or Sankranti, is a festival that signifies the beginning of the harvest season for the farmers of India. ... Dark green region marks the approximate extent of northern India while the regions marked as light green lies within the sphere of north Indian influence. ... Makar Sankranti is a mid-winter festival of India and Nepal. ... Maharashtra   (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र , English: , IPA: ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... Gujarāt (GujarātÄ«: , IPA: ,  ) is the most industrialized state in the Republic of India with 19. ... Yokaichi Giant Kite Festival held on the fourth Sunday every May in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan Kite flying is the activity of flying tethered man-made objects in wind. ... Uttarayan, also known as Makarsakranti, is a kite-flying festival celebrated annually on January 14 in western India; it is a public holiday in Gujarat and Rajasthan. ... This article details the Indian state of Punjab. ... Haryana (Hindi: , IPA: / /) is a state in north India. ... Pongal (பொங்கல் in Tamil) is an Indian festival to give thanks for the harvest. ...

Celebration

Boiling rice during a Pongal Day celebration.

Tamils refer to Pongal as "Tamizhar Thirunal" (meaning "the festival of Tamils"). This festival originated in Tamil Nadu. The saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakku" (தை பிறந்தால் வழி பிறக்கும், meaning "the birth of the month of Thai will pave the way for new opportunities" often is quoted regarding the Pongal festival. Image File history File links Pongal. ... Image File history File links Pongal. ... The Tamil people are an ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ...

Usually, the festival takes place January 12 — 15 (on the Gregorian calendar). The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (December — January) to the third day of Thai (January — February). The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used calendar in the world. ... Margazhi is the ninth month in the Tamil calendar. ...

The first day, Bhogi, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials, by setting them on fire, marking the end of the old Thai and the emergence of the new Thai.

The second day, Pongal, is the main day, falling on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 — 15). Also known as Veetu Pongal, it is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots, which are later topped with brown sugar, cashew nuts and raisins early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel. This tradition gives Pongal its name. January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A glass of cows milk A goat kid feeding on its mothers milk Milk is the nutrient fluid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals (including monotremes). ... Preparation of Jaggery Jaggery is the traditional unrefined sugar of India. ...

The moment the rice boils over and bubbles out of the vessel, the tradition is to shout of "Ponggalo Ponggal!" and blowing the sangu (a conch), a custom practiced during the festival to announce it was going to be a year blessed with good tidings. For Tamils, it is considered a good sign to watch it boil over, since it means that good luck and prosperity is forthcoming. The Sangu, at times called Rori (People of the Steppes), are an ethnic and linguistic group based in southwestern Tanzania. ... Species Strombus gigas Strombus pugilis A conch (pronounced konk (IPA: ) or konch (IPA: )) is a sea-dwelling mollusk, and more specifically, a marine gastropod. ...

The New boiled rice is offered to the Nature during sunrise, a gesture which symbolises thanks to the sun and nature for providing prosperity. It is later served to the people present in the house for the ceremony. People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each other, and exchange greetings.

The third day, Maattu Pongal, is for offering thanks to cattle, as they help farmer in different ways for agriculture. Jallikattu, a "taming the wild bull" contest, is the main event of this day. Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (often called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Jallikattu is a South Indian celebration involving bull taming, somewhat similar to the Spanish running of the bulls. ...

During the final day, Kaanum Pongal (the word kaanum means "to view") people visit beaches and theme parks. They also chew sugar cane and decorate their houses with kolam. Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ... Kolam outside a house in Tamil Nadu Kolam (in Tamil) is a decorative design drawn using rice powder by female members of the family in front of their home, especially near the threshold. ...

Astronomical significance

The astronomical significance of the festival is that it marks the beginning of Uttarayana, the sun's movement northward for a six-month period. In Hinduism, Uttarayana is considered auspicious, as opposed to Dakshinaayana, or the southern movement of the sun. All important events are scheduled during this period. Makara Sankranthi refers to the event of the sun entering the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn). A giant Hubble mosaic of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant. ... Uttarāyana (उत्तरायण) is the six month period between Makar Sankranti around (January 14) and Karka Sankranti around (July 14), when the Sun travels towards north on the celestial sphere. ... The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. ... Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Makar Sankranti is a mid-winter festival of India and Nepal. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... The word Makara can refer to several different things. ... Capricorn may refer to: The constellation Capricornus, one of the constellations of the zodiac The astrological sign Capricorn represented by this constellation The Tropic of Capricorn Tropic of Capricorn is also the name of a novel by Henry Miller Capricorn, a character and villain of the Ink trilogy by Cornelia...

External links

This article contains Indic text. Without rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes or other symbols instead of Indic characters; or irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts.

• Pongal Festival
• Pongal from Dmoz.org
• Significance and Philosophy of the Pongal festival
• Lohri
• Lohri Festival

Festivals in the Hindu calendar

Sankranti | Hosa Varsha | Gowri Habba | Anantana Vrata | Bheemana Amaavaase | Satyanarayana Pooja | Datta Jayanti | Pongal | Holi | Ugadi | Rama Navami | Krishna Janmaashtami | Onam | Ganesh Chaturthi | Vaisakhi | Navratri | Durga Puja | Vijayadashami | Dasara | Karwa Chauth | Deepawali | Thaipusam | Maha Shivaratri | Ekadasi | Vaikunta Ekadasi | Mahalakshmi vrata | Raksha Bandhan | Bhai-Dooj/Bhau-Beej | Puthandu v • d • e