PONGAL-A HARVEST FESTIVAL.

 INDIA is well known all over the world as a country of cultural and traditional festivals as it has many      cultures and religions,such as DIWALI ,NAVARATHRI, ONAM,PONGAL, RAMADHAN,
EASTER,SIVARATHRI,UGADI,and much more.In that Diwali is celebrated by all indian by yesterday and today.but here i am going to write a post about PONGAL because it is mainly celebrated in my state (TAMIL NADU)
Thai pongal is a harvest festival dedicated to sun god for successful harvest which is for four days festival according to tamil calandar usually from January 14 to January 17 celebrated by tamil people in the Indian state of tamil nadu. The orgin of thai pongal is more than 1000 years.
Pongal dish is prepared with milk and freshly harvested rice grain in new clay pot that is decorated with coloured pattern called kolam.and then served with vadai and payasam to everyone in the family
BHOGI: The day preceding pongal is called Bhogi.on this day we will discard our old belongings into the fire to celebrate the new ownership. Houses are cleaned, painted and decorated to give a festive look. In Tamil Nadu farmers keep medicinal herb (neem, avram, sankranti) in northeast corner of each fields, to prevent crops from diseases and pests.
THAI PONGAL: It is the second day of the festival,houses are decorated with mango and banana leaves and floor decorated with rice flour (kolam)drawn on door steps. Family elders present gifts to the young.we wears new dress.
MAATU PONGAL(CATTLE): It is the third day of our festival,tamils regard their cattle as source of wealth providing dairy products and fertilizers.Features of the day includes with a game called jallikattu. On this day bathe and decorated the cattle with turmeric water and kungumam on their forehead and feed them with white pongal.jaggary,honey,and banana and other fruits.
KAANUM PONGAL:It is the end of the pongal festival that means to visit.Uually brothers pay some special tribute to their married sister by giving gifts.