India Awaits: Pongal - this weeks festival

Yesterday was the start of the four day harvest festival called, Pongal. The boys have the day off from school and most businesses choose one day in the next week as a way of being thankful for the gift of harvesting and farming. Pongal actual means 'to boil' in Tamil and it is one of the most important Hindu festivals and it follows the solar calendar and is aligned with the start of the sun moving north. (yeah winter is ending....whatever that is here in Bangalore, currently 30 degrees)

Pongal marks the end of the farming season and gives the farmers a time to celebrate. Apparently the temples are going to be very full and there will be offerings of rice, vegetables and sugarcane, and people will pray for prosperity.

The 4 days are Bhogi, Perum, Mattu Pongul and Kanum Pongal.

Bhogi is when many people burn old things and purchase new items for the house and farm.

Perum is the most important day of Pongal. Many people wear new clothes and the women decorate houses with Kolam (designs) using rice flour and red clay.

Mattu Pongal is the third day and includes worshipping cattle because it is believed that cattle help give a good harvest.

Kanum Pongal, which is when many people go on picnic and spend time with families and friends.

One of the stories I found about the festival was:

According to the legend of Lord Shiva, on the third day of Pongal, Lord Shiva sent his buffalo Nandi to tell people to have oil bath daily and eat once a month. However, Nandi became confused and told people to eat daily and bathe once a month. This angered Lord Shiva so he placed Nandi on earth to help humans harvest for more food, therefore Pongal became a harvest festival.

We spent the day going for a walk in the neighbourhood outside Palm Meadows, having a long breakfast, and then swimming at the pool. Not very 'farmer-like' but fun none the less.

To all my family and friends living and working on the land - have a beer tonight and celebrate Pongal.