Ponggal Day

Today is the day we Hindu's celebrate the first harvesting of the year with a big celebration called Ponggal.
“Ponggal” is celebrated on the Thai month as per the Indian calendar. Ponggal is celebrated to thank the farmers and cows.
“Ponggal” is a South Indian celebration predominantly celebrated by people of Tamil origin. It more known as “Thai Ponggal”.It is a harvest festival to thank the sun god as the crops that they have harvested successfully. “Ponggal” is actually the sweet rice that is cooked on the celebration. “Ponggal” is usually celebrated over a course of three days and are divided into “Thai Ponggal (main celebration)”, “Maatu Ponggal (Cow Ponggal)”, and finally Kanni Ponggal” or “Kaanum Ponggal” (More of a day of thanksgiving for youngsters)

“Ponggal” for some of the Tamils is a day that is more important than Deepavali. Ponggal is held closer to the hearts of Tamils because it is more of local customs. In Malaysia this is celebrated is big scale. Previous day of the celebration, the whole Indian streets were crowded as the buy all the required ingredients and other things such as the sugarcane stalks, mango leaves (maa ellai), turmeric plant (manjal), banana leave decoration (thoranai).

Ponggal is generally celebrated by boiling rice, milk, brown sugar with a variety of condiments. Once milk comes to a boil, we should chant “Ponggalo Ponggal!!!” as a belief of good prosperity of health, wealth and happiness should overflow as how the milk does when it comes to a boil. After that the rice is added till cooked along with all the other condiments. After preparing the sweet rice and other dishes, we served them in alter and had the prayers.

This year would be my last “Ponggal” being single in life. Next year it would be a year with my partner to cherish our first “Ponggal” together.

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