Thai Pongal: Festival of Tribute
Thai Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Indian Union Territory of Pondicherry and Sri Lanka. Unusually for South Indian Hindu festivals, Thai Pongal is timed by an astronomical event - the winter solstice. Pongal is traditionally dedicated to the Sun God Surya, and marks the beginning of the northward journey of the Sun from its southernmost-limit, a movement traditionally referred to as uttarayana. It coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India as the winter harvest, and is usually held from January 13–15 in the Gregorian calendar i.e. from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi to the third day of Thai. This also represents the Indic solstice when the sun purportedly enters the 10th house of the Indian zodiac i.e. Makaram or Capricorn.
The saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum" meaning "the commencement of Thai paves the way for new opportunities" is often quoted regarding the Pongal festival. Pongal Tamils thank the solar deity for the good harvest and consecrate the first grain to him on this 'Surya Mangalyam'. Tamilians decorate their homes with banana and mango leaves and embellish the floor with decorative patterns drawn using rice flour.
History:
The history may well be more than 1000 years old although some are of the view that the festival is older. Epigraphic evidence suggests the celebration of the Puthiyeedu during the Medieval Chola empire days. It is thought that Puthiyeedu meant the first harvest of the year. The Sangam era literary work, the Paripaadal, refers to a fast by unmarried girls in honor of the God Vishnu in the month of Thai, known as the Thai Nonbu. The link between that fast and today's harvest festival needs to be further researched. Tamils refer to Pongal as "Tamizhar Thirunaal" (meaning "the festival of Tamils") Makara Sankranti in turn is referred to in the Surya Siddhanta.
Etimology:
Thai refers to the name of the tenth month in the Tamil calender, Thai Pongal in Tamil generally refers to festivity; more specifically Pongal means "boiling over" or "spill over". The boiling over of milk in the clay pot symbolizes material abundance for the household. Pongal is also the name of a sweetened dish of rice bioled with lentils which is ritually consumed on this day. Symbolically, pongal signifies the warming i.e. boiling of the season as the Sun travels northward towards the equinox.
Various names of festivals celebrated on 15th January:
| Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka - celebrated as Thai Pongal Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Kerela, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh - celebrated asMakara Sankranthi or Sankranthi Gujarat and Rajasthan celebrated as Uttarayana Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab - celebrated as Lohri Assam - celebrated as Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu Nepal - celebrated as Maghe Sankranthi |
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