Today – January 15, 2012 – is Thai Pongal

Pongal is one of the most important Tamil festivals and is an agrarian festival dedicated to Surya – the sun god. The festival symbolically represents the pot of plenty and this is depicted by the boiling over of the cooking rice and lentils. Each Pongal is celebrated with the hope that the new harvest will bring fortune and prosperity to all.

 The four day festival falls in the Tamil month of Thai (January – February). It celebrates the harvest, especially the rice crop, and is considered to be an ancient form of thanksgiving. The festival is named after the rice pudding or Pongal prepared on the festival day.

Pongal is an ancient festival and its origin can be traced back to the Sangam Era (200 BC – 300 AD).

The first day of the festival is known as Bhogi Pongal. The second day is the Suryan Pongal or the Perum Pongal (January 15, 2012). The third day is the Mattu Pongal or the Pongal of cattle. The fourth day is the Kannum Pongal.

Read more about Pongal