Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil community. It is a celebration to thank the Sun, Mother Nature and the various farm animals that help to contribute to a bountiful harvest. Celebrated over four days, Pongal also marks the beginning of the Tamil month called Thai, which is considered an auspicious month. It usually falls on the 14th or 15th of January each year.
Traditional Kolam decorations during the festival.
Pongal is also the name of the dish made and eaten during this festival. It is a mixture of boiled sweet rice. It is derived from the Tamil word **pongu**, which means “to boil over”. Pongal is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Tamils. The festival is celebrated over three or four days with **Bhogi**, **Thai Pongal**, **Mattu Pongal** and **Kaanum Pongal**, beginning on the last day of the Tamil calendar month of Margazhi. Thai Pongal is observed on the first day of the Tamil calendar month of Thai and usually falls on 14 or 15 January. According to tradition, the festival marks the end of winter solstice, and the start of the Sun's six-month-long journey northwards called **Uttarayana** when the Sun enters Capricorn. It is dedicated to the solar deity Surya and corresponds to Makar Sankranti, the Hindu observance celebrated under various regional names across the Indian subcontinent. The festival is named after the ceremonial "Pongal", which means "boiling over" or "overflow" in Tamil language and refers to the traditional dish prepared by boiling rice with milk and jaggery. Mattu Pongal is meant for celebration of cattle, and the cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colors with garlands of flowers placed around their necks. The festival is traditionally an occasion for decorating with rice-powder based **kolam** artworks, offering prayers at home, visiting temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts to renew social bonds of solidarity. Pongal is also referred to as **Tamizhar thirunal** ("the festival of Tamil people") and is one of the major festivals celebrated by the Tamil people across various religions. It is observed by the Tamil diaspora in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, parts of South India, Sri Lanka and other parts of the world with significant Tamil population.
History and Origins
The principal theme of Pongal is thanking the Sun god Surya, the forces of nature, and the farm animals and people who support agriculture. The festival is mentioned in an inscription found at the **Veeraraghava Swamy Temple**. Attributed to the Chola king Kulottunga I (1070–1122 CE), the inscription describes a grant of land to the temple for celebrating the annual Pongal festivities. The ninth century Shaiva Bhakti text **Tiruvempavai** by Manikkavacakar details the festival. It appears in Tamil texts and inscriptions with variant spellings such as *ponakam*, *tiruponakam*, and *ponkal*. Temple inscriptions from the Chola and Vijayanagara periods detail recipes similar to pongal recipes of the modern era with variations in seasonings and relative amounts of the ingredients. The terms *ponakam*, *ponkal* and its prefixed variants might also indicate the festive pongal dish as a *prasadam* (religious offering).
Observance: The Four Days
Day 1: Bhogi
Bhogi marks the first day of the Pongal festivities, celebrated on the last day of the Tamil calendar month Marghazhi. On this day people **discard old belongings and celebrate new possessions**. The people assemble and light a bonfire in order to burn the heaps of discards. Houses are cleaned, painted and decorated to give a festive look. Prayers are offered to **Indra**, the king of Gods with thanks and hopes for plentiful rains in the year ahead.
Day 2: Thai Pongal
Ceremonial cooking of the Pongal dish.
Thai Pongal is the **main festive day**, dedicated to the **Sun deity Surya**. The traditional pongal dish is prepared in an earthen pot. The pot is typically decorated by tying a turmeric plant or flower garland and placed in the sun along with sugarcane stalks. When the pongal starts to **boil and overflow** out of the vessel, participants shout **"Pongalo Pongal"** ("may this rice boil over"). The Pongal dish is first offered to Surya and Ganesha, and then shared with the gathered friends and family.
Day 3: Mattu Pongal
Mattu Pongal ("Madu" meaning cow in Tamil) is meant for the **celebration of cattle**. The cattle are regarded as sources of wealth as they provide dairy products and fertilizers. The cattle are bathed, their horns are polished and painted in bright colors with garlands of flowers placed around their necks. They are fed sweets and people may prostrate before them with words of thanks for the help with the harvest.
Day 4: Kanum Pongal
Kanum Pongal or Kanu Pongal marks the end of Pongal festivities. The word **kanum** in this context means "**to visit**" and families hold reunions on this day. Communities organize social events to strengthen mutual bonds. Young people visit elders to pay respects and seek blessings, with elders giving gifts to the visiting children.
The Pongal Dish and Traditions
Kolam artwork drawn with rice flour and powders.
The traditional Sweet Pongal (Sakkarai Pongal).
Pongal is traditionally an occasion for decorating, offering prayers in the home, temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts. The festival is marked with colorful **kolam** artwork, a form of traditional decorative art drawn using rice flour.
The festival is named after the **"Pongal" dish**, the most significant practice. The dish is prepared by boiling freshly harvested rice in cow milk and raw cane sugar, along with ingredients like coconut, ghee, and spices. The cooking is done in sunlight, usually in a porch or courtyard, and the dish is dedicated to the Sun god, Surya. The dish **"boiling over" is believed to symbolically mark the blessing by Parvati**. It is the ritual dish that celebrates the harvest and symbolizes the transformation of the gift of agriculture into nourishment for the gods and the community.