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PONGAL
Pongal
was celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month 'Thai'. The pot in which
Pongal is cooked is called "Pongal Panai". The word Pongal means rice
cooked in milk and jaggery. 'Pongal' is a celebration of spring on the occasion
of the 'ascent' of the sun to the north. It is the celebration of the harvest
season. It is celebrated for four days in Tamil Nadu.
The
first day is called 'Bhogi Pongal', the second day 'Surya Pongal' and the third
day 'Mattu Pongal'. Bhogi Pongal is celebrated as a family festival. Bhogi
pongal is dedicated to Lord Indra. It is the day for spring cleaning. All old
and unwanted things are thrown away or burnt. At that time boys beat little
drums known as Bhogi Kottu which are specially made for the occasion with
buffalo hide. The second day is dedicated to the sun (Surya) when Pongal is
boiled by women and offered to the sun. Friends greet one another by asking
whether rice is boiled.
 The
Chakhara Pongal made of rice and jaggery, seasoned with ghee, cashew nut and
other spices, is a speciality for the occasion. Mattu Pongal, the third day is a
day dedicated to the worship and veneration of the cattle (mattu). The Chakhara
Pongal that has been offered to the local deity is given to the cattle to eat.
The cattle are bathed, decorated and their horns are painted in bright colours.
Coloured balls of the pongal are also made and left in the open for birds. In the
villages of Madurai, Tirucherapalli and Tanjore, the final day of pongal called
Kannum Pongal is indulged in existing past times like 'jallikettu' or manji
virattu. Jallikettu is a kind of bull fight. Bundles containing money are tied
to the horns of ferocious bulls and armed villagers try to wrest the bundles
from them. In Manji virattu young man ride on bull's back for some distance and
remove the money bag tied around the neck. Some men were seriously wounded and
immediately removed.
Pongal
is prepared in two big earthen pots and it is offered to a special miniature
Ganesh made of cow-dung. The cow dung Ganesh was decorated with arugampal,
thumbai flowers and avarama flowers. special kolam was drawn on the floor,
decorated with red sand and the pongal pots placed over it. Turmeric, ginger,
sugar cane, yellow garlands and a stick which is used to drive the bulls is
offered to Ganesh in puja.
CHITRAI
FESTIVAL
Chitrai is the first month of
Tamils. In this month a festival
is held to celebrate the advent of spring. On the full moon day, the images of gods and
goddesses from the temples in and around Madurai are taken to
the bed of the river Vaigai, in colourful processions accompanied by
the hundreds and thousands of people and musicians. The atmosphere is
one of mirth and merriment. The festival marks the marriage of Madurai's
powerful presiding deity, Meenakshi with Lord Shiva.
It marks the end of one financial year and the beginning of
another for agriculturists in Madurai district. Payments for
servants engaged in agricultural operations are made on yearly basis i.e.
from one Chitrai festival to the next.
VAIKASI VISAKAM
Vaikasi is the second month of
Tamil Calendar. Temples dedicated to Subrahmanya or Muruga celebrate the Vaisdakam
festival. The full
moon day is a day of great festivity for Subrahmanya or Muruga, the son of Lord
Shiva. At Tiruchendur and Thiruparankundran, devotees
carry milk pots and this day is considered as a day of enlightenment.
It is
on this day that
the Buddha Purnima is celebrated - the day on which Gautama
Buddha is said to have been born, got enlightenment and attained Nirvana.
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