The vibrant and sacred festival of Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people across the world. It is a magnificent festival of thanksgiving and appreciation for a bountiful harvest. It is celebrated most gloriously in the farming communities across Sri Lanka and India. It celebrates the joy of a rewarding harvest. The cooking transforms the gift of agriculture into nourishment for the gods and the community on a day that Tamils traditionally believe marks the end of the Winter Solstice and starts the Sun God’s journey northwards.
The blessing of abundance by the Goddess Pongal (Uma/Parvati) is symbolically marked with the dish “boiling over”. According to tradition, the festival marks the end of the winter solstice and the start of the Sun’s six-month-long journey northwards when the Sun enters the Capricorn. The festival is named after the ceremonial “Pongal”, which means “to boil” and refers to the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in fresh milk with jaggery. To mark the festival, the Pongal sweet dish is prepared, first reverently offered to the Gods and Goddesses.
Faith & Gratitude
Thai refers to the name of the 10th month in the Tamil calendar, while Pongal (from pongu) connotes “boiling over” or “overflow.” Pongal is also the name of a sweetened dish of rice boiled in milk and jaggery that is ritually consumed on this day. It is the succulent signature dish of this festival when the entire family gathers with a spirit of overwhelming gratitude. Pongal has its roots in the Sangam Period roughly identified from the sixth century BC to the second century AD. Legends say that the Pongal celebration is not less than 2,000 years old. The principal theme of Pongal is thanking the Sun God (Surya), the forces of Nature, and the farm animals and people who support agriculture. It shows how important agriculture and dairy farming are, within the Tamil community. Agriculture feeds and sustains human life.
Hinduism encompasses a diverse range of beliefs and practices, but across various sects and traditions, gratitude towards the divine is fundamental. Hindus express thankfulness for the blessings of life, creation, sustenance, and spiritual guidance from the divine. Hindus believe in fulfilling their duties towards the divine, family, society, and all living beings as an expression of gratitude for the harmony and order in the universe. Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Puranas- contain teachings emphasising gratitude. The Bhagavad Gita, for instance, highlights the importance of being grateful for life’s gifts and acknowledging the divine source of all blessings.
The history of the Pongal dish in a festive and religious context can be traced to the Chola period. It appears in numerous texts and inscriptions with various spellings. The festival’s most significant practice is the preparation of the traditional “pongal” dish. It utilises freshly harvested rice and is prepared by boiling it in milk and raw cane sugar (jaggery). Sometimes additional ingredients are added to the sweet dish; they are cardamom, raisins, green gram (split), and cashew nuts. Other ingredients include coconut and ghee (clarified butter from cow milk).
In some communities, women take their cooking pots near a kovil of their choice and cook together as a social event. This is embellished with a spiritual aura and also to invoke greater divine blessings. I have witnessed this ritual in my travels to Jaffna, and the atmosphere is very friendly as people come together. The cooking is done in the morning’s sunlight, usually on a porch or courtyard and at times under the shade of a large tree. The Khomba tree is the desired tree as it also denotes purity due to its herbal charm. The cooking is done in a clay pot that is neatly garlanded with leaves or flowers, sometimes tied with a piece of turmeric root or marked with pattern artwork called kolam. It is either cooked at home or in community gatherings such as in Hindu kovils or village spaces.
The sweet Pongal dish is dedicated to the Sun God, Surya. Surya is one of the major five deities in Hinduism, considered as equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja and means to realise Brahman in the Smarta tradition. Surya is depicted with a Chakra, also interpreted as a Dharmachakra. Surya is the lord of Simha (Leo), one of the 12 constellations in the Zodiac system of Hindu astrology.
Diverse traditions
Tamil Hindus decorate their homes with banana and mango leaves and embellish the entrance space before homes, corridors and doors with decorative floral or geometric patterns drawn using coloured rice flour. This ancient design is known as kolam. Since the Tamil population is worldwide, the practice of kolam is found around the world, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and a few other Asian countries.
A kolam is a geometrical line drawing composed of straight lines, curves and loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots. In Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, it is widely practiced by female family members in front of the main entrance to the residence. In cities, the day marks the ritual visit to nearby Hindu Kovils for prayers. Kovils and communities hold processions by parading icons from the sanctum of the temple in wooden chariots, drama-dance performances encouraging social gatherings and renewal of community bonds.
Community Pongal is an event where families gather at ceremonial worship. It becomes an important part of the worship, starting from selecting the pot, igniting the fire and other rituals. Sugarcane sticks, bananas and coconuts are also offered. According to Hindu scripture, Pongal is a very auspicious festivity. Its timing is considered most sacred religious occasion of the year. The significance of the festival is that the Sun has finished its movement through Dakshinayana and is ready to enter in the Uttarayana. It is believed that celebrating Pongal goes on ushering in wealth, peace and prosperity to every living being.
Pongal is a good period for self-reflection- to become a better human. Consciousness is called Prakasa or original light. It is the light that shines the entire universe or supreme consciousness. Siva reflects on Prakasa and that reflection is called Vimarsa and the process of reflection gives self-consciousness to Siva. Vimarsa or reflection is called self-consciousness or Sakti. Arrogance, and selfish desires -according to ancient Vedic knowledge, is more than a character trait; it is a curtain that hides our true nature and blocks spiritual advancement. This negative trait stresses our relationships and separates us from our inner tranquility. The Vedas teach humility as a virtue that leads to Moksha (freedom). The Vedas cultivate humility via activities such as meditation, selfless service, and reflection. Recognising the divine in all beings and giving up worldly desires can lead to spiritual growth and peace of mind. Wishing you all a blessed radiant Pongal filled with prosperity and renewed hope.
