The festival of Pongal will be celebrated with great pomp and splendor across the state of Tamil Nadu. This is a celebration of the harvest season and is among the most important occasions during the year for residents of the state. From decorating their houses to buying new clothes, making special dishes, and sharing the wishes of Tamil Pongal, everyone is engaged in the four-day celebrations. Let’s have a look at Pongal Festival 2023 – Home Celebrations.
If you’re one of those, who want to know more about Pongal. Here’s a quick dive into the world of Pongal.
How is the Pongal Festival celebrated?
One of the region’s biggest celebrations for farmers. Pongal is a day when farmers celebrate their labor in the field. A single day of celebrations is not enough. So, the Pongal celebration is a four-day celebration, and each day has a particular significance.
So let’s take a look at what the four days represent.
Day 1 Pongal Festival – Bhogi Pongal
The rain gods must be honored for a prosperous harvest time, so it’s only natural that the day that begins the festival of Pongal be designated to pay homage to Lord Indra, the god of rain, and to the cloud god according to Hindu mythology.
On this day, people are required to clean their homes and keep them in spick-and-span condition. This not only provides excellent cleaning for your home, but it will also eliminate any negative energy that might be lingering within it.
Homes are decorated with rangoli for the Pongal Kolam in front of the entrance with attractive designs. Families can perform their Bhogi Mantalu ritual during the evening. A special ceremony sees young girls dancing around a bonfire while they sing hymns of praise to Lord Indra and express gratitude for the new season and, most importantly, the harvest they’ve had.
Day 2 Pongal Festival – Surya Pongal
This is the second and final day of the festival, which happens to be the most significant one. It is on this day that the principal ceremony of the Pongal festival is carried out. Women gather to prepare the special Pongal food outside. It is known that the dish is made by boiling milk and rice in an earthen pot. It is an offer to the Sun God, also known as Lord Surya.
A Pongal-based dish is cooked on the auspicious date that is the Surya Pongal festival. Pongal dish is prepared on the auspicious day for the Surya Pongal festival.
The earthen pot, in which Pongal is cooked is usually decorated as well. There is some turmeric leaf or garland wrapped around the pot as it is cooking. Other offerings made for the gods of the Sun God include bananas, sugarcane, and coconut.
When the food is being prepared, women are seen gathering around the kitchen to sing praises and hymns to God for an abundant harvest. The males, however, are observed performing other rituals, which include the recitation of sacred mantras as they perform the suryanamaskar.
Tamil Pongal wishes consist of decorating your residence with bananas as well as an updated Pongal Kolam.
Once the Pongal has been prepared and is ready, it is presented to the gods, mostly Gods like Lord Surya or Lord Ganesha. Sometimes, it is made available to bulls and oxen. Then, it’s shared with relatives.
Day 3 Pongal Festival – Mattu Pongal
The root of Mattu is a cow, which is why the third day of celebration is solely dedicated to the cow. It is right because the cow feeds farm families and farmers’ milk, just as the oxen and bulls assist in plowing the fields. They also help during harvest time.
The application of color to a bull on the occasion of the Mattu Pongal festival. On the occasion of the Mattu Pongal festival, color is applied to a bull.
The festivities of this day involve decorating bulls and cows with bells, as well as applying the color of their lives. They are worshipped with beads and turmeric water and wear garlands of flowers around their necks to offer the animals special and valuable Tamil Pongal wishes in the fullest sense.
The most enjoyable part of the day is after feeding the cattle and cows with Pongal and when they are transported to the town’s center. The majority of the time the bulls are raced by men as the city streets buzz with laughter, fun, excitement, joy, and more.
When the festivities are set, a pooja is followed by a ceremony to remove any evil in the cattle.
Day 4 Pongal Festival – Kaanum Pongal
The day is celebrated as the final day of celebrations of Pongal Kaanum. Pongal is all about wrapping up the festivities and catching up with family and friends. The significance of Kanum is to get together or visit, and that is the reason why people, according to tradition, go about meeting their close and dear ones to send their Tamil Pongal wishes.
The Kanu Pidi ceremony is also held every day. A typical South Indian custom involves washing turmeric leaves before setting them on the floor. Then, the remaining food items and Pongal that were made into offerings on previous days are placed on these turmeric leaves and left in the open. This is primarily used to feed birds and express gratitude for their contributions during the agricultural season.
Usually performed by women who live at home, it is usually done in the morning, with no need for washing or showering.
When is Pongal in 2023?
Four days of the Pongal festival will be celebrated this year, from the 15th of January to January 18th, 2023.
5 Pongal Festival Decoration Ideas
If you’re someone who wants to enjoy the Pongal festival at your new house for the very first time, here are some ideas to guide you in the process of decorating. Check out:
The Pongal Kolam
Kolam is an important element of decoration for the Pongal festival. Traditionally, women would wake up to the rising sun and decorate their homes’ entryways with traditional kolam designs. The practice is believed to bring luck, fortune, and prosperity into your home.
The kolam of Pongal can have different designs and include elements like the bull farmers, the Pongal pot, sugarcane, a bull, and the sun, every one of these is a great symbol for the celebration. You could draw inspiration from the kolam designs that are shown in the above image and create something similar at your home too.
Sugarcane Pongal Festival Decoration
Sugarcane has earned a reputation at the Pongal festival as a source of sweetness and happiness for the entire world. It is therefore an ideal idea to utilize sugarcane for decoration if you want to keep their decor simple, basic, simple, and cost-effective.
If you happen to stumble on some tall sugarcane stalks, set them up at the entry point of your house or make use of three stalks and construct a tent-like structure. Place the pongal container between them to create a traditional setting.
Flower Garlands Decor
Flowers bring beauty everywhere they go. It is therefore ideal to decorate your home during celebrations, especially during the Pongal celebration. You don’t have to be extravagant for your displays, but simple patterns for decorating, such as the one shown in the picture above, can be used and add a touch of elegance to your home.
Although they aren’t the traditional Tamil Pongal wishes, they do add a festive vibe to your living space and increase its beauty.
Kites for Pongal Festival Decoration
Although they are not a component of the traditional festival of Pongal, kites are a major part of the Makar Sankranti festivals throughout the state, which includes Maharashtra, Telangana, and Odisha. Kites are an excellent addition to consider if you are looking to have a diverse celebration around the most important festival of the season, which is also harvest time.
Earthen Pot Pongal Festival Decoration
On the day of the festival of Pongal, families prepare the recipe of milk and rice in an earthen jar outside their homes. This is why earthen pots are a major part of the Pongal celebration and act as great props for decoration during this period.
It is possible to purchase plain pots at the market and begin painting them by hand. it with the same style as that depicted in the photo above. From floral designs to more traditional representations such as sugarcane, banana leaves, and much more, all can be part of your painting. You can then add cotton for the effect of ponging.
Summing Up Pongal Festival Celebration at Home
The Pongal festival is a celebration of the season of harvest. According to Hindu mythology, the festival, which lasts for four days, is a celebration of the gods, Indra and Surya, for their assistance in the growth of excellent crops.
In the above article, you will learn what the importance of every day of the festival is. You also learn what the significance of the celebration is and how wishes for Tamil Pongal are exchanged.
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