CELEBRATING PONGAL IS ALWAYS EXCITING :)

BELATED PONGAL WISHES!!!

January is the most awaited month of the year as the grand harvest festival is celebrated across the country in different names like pongal, makara shankranti etc. During this harvest season " pongal aacha", "How was the pongal?" could be the only talk everywhere in Tamil Nadu. Yes, Pongal is always a Close to Heart festival which is filled with tradition and reveals the beauty of the Culture. Moreover, Its a FOUR DAY festival, where each day have unique meaning.

I started planning my pongal decorations few months ahead as I thought none of the rituals should be missed this year. So, I bought my Pongal pots, Lamps and Recipes from my mom when I went for holidays .

On the day of Pongal, We made our Pooja under the sun (That's how it should be done, actually). In my native place, we usually have a way of celebrating pongal by keeping a big wooden box, which have Niches where daughter-in-laws of our family light two kind of lamps( One gifted by their mom, and another by mom-in-law) every morning and evening. Special Aarthi and pooja takes place During the auspicious time and Pongal will be cooked and is allowed to flow out of the pot with a loud shout “PONGALOO PONGAL”.

MAA KOLAM (Kolam which is made out of liquid rice flour) plays important role on this 4 day festival.

First day is a Bogi pandigai which is a spring cleaning day . Unused household articles are get ridden followed by a complete cleaning . Next day is pongal pandigai( harvest festival). Without special foods Pongal is incomplete, Right??! On the day of pongal, I have gone with full of traditional foods which doesn't have any masala products in it (Not even Onion!!). Special Vadai, Payasam along with Chakkarai Pongal should be served. On Maatu Pongal, in account to celebrate the cow's help to the farmers, every house make special food called PADAISAL and will be offered to the cow. On the fourth day called KAANUM PONGAL (A) KANNI PONGAL, Young girls and kids will get dressed up and get blessings from elders.Variety Rice ( Lemon, Coconut, Chakkarapongal, Curd Rice) will be cooked and served this day.

Summarizing all these I can Surely say, "Pongal is not just a festival, It's an EMOTION!!!".