Pongal festival: Famous festival in and around Madurai

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PONGAL FESTIVAL:::

Pongal is one of the major festivals in Tamilnadu, which is popularly called as Sankaranthi in other parts of India. It is also the birth of a new tamil month ('thai'). Now this day has been considered as the Tamil new year day by the government of tamilnadu also.

As this day is nearing by with only hardly a month, let me share some things about this day which I know.On Pongal day, the people used to wear new clothes and this day is mainly for the cattle and machinery used for cultivation. So farmers mainly celebrate this day by presenting the cultivated goods and presenting to the Sun god. The village people normally celebrate this day by decorating their houses, fields and cattle. They would expect this day as auspicious day as they would have harvested their crops and this should continue throughout their life time. The main food items for this day would be Sweet pongal (ingredients may depend on the financial status of the family).

Other things include the Sugarcane which is purple in color and the Lunch made of fully homegrown vegetables. Root vegetables like potato varieties is also included in the menu.On the next day of Pongal, people used to have non-vegetarian and the next day is the day of Mattu Pongal. This day is mainly for the cattle. On this day they will take care of their cattle specially by decorating and giving special food. Moreover on this day cattle will be sent for Jallikattu also - which is a popular brave sport.

I would like to share some of my experiences during pongal day.We used to wait for this day as we can chew sugarcane on this day. Normally I would love to eat sugarcane a lot. Then about the Lunch in our home it will be heavy with full of vegetables. All vegetables will be there in the Sambar and for side dish we would have potatoes, pachcha mochai and beans usili. Dinner will be completed with dosa and the remaining Sambar. This sambar will be in our home for another two days. :-)

Great festival! But now I am away from my home, missing all the above. Though I am with my family here, I am missing a lot without my parents who are there in my home town. I dont know whether I am having any plan to go to my home town on this day, but I am hoping to do so.

Hope your experiences are similar!