Pongal Festival: Joy of Harvest

In the small village of Thirunagar the start of Pongal – the harvest festival was being celebrated today.

Arun, a boy of 14 years, woke up early morning. He ran into the courtyard, where his mother, Meena, was already occupied cleaning and decorating.

She had created a lovely kolam, a rice flour design, at the door of their house.

Arun’s little sister, Priya, stood by watching intently.

“Its the biggest day to thank the Sun God for gifting us with a good harvest” said Meena.

Arun agreed. He enjoyed Pongal, not only because of the festivities but also because of the yummy food and enjoyment-filled traditions.

His father, Raghav, entered with a new clay pot. “Come, Arun! We need to make the Pongal dish,” he instructed.

A fire from wood and cow dung lit up the backyard. The new pot was put on top, and Arun assisted in pouring fresh milk into it.

When the milk began to boil, the family exclaimed, “Pongalo Pongal!” This was a special moment, representing prosperity and happiness.

Meena put the rice and jaggery in the pot. The sweet fragrance wafted through the air as the Pongal simmered slowly. Priya exclaimed by clapping her hands together. She eagerly waited to enjoy the sweet Pongal.

At the same time, the whole village was filled with celebrations. Women wore traditional sarees and their hairs decorated with jasmine flowers and Men wore dhotis and shirts.

Children flew kites and played games in the field.

An offering to the Sun god was prepared with Pongal in a banana leaf. Arun folded his hands in prayer, thanking nature for the blessings. The villagers did the same, and the temple bells rang in unison.

For the feast the villagers assembled beneath a big tree, with large banana leaves to eat the sweet Pongal and many other savory food like sambar, vada and coconut chutney.

Arun bit into the sweet Pongal and grinned. “It’s delicious, Amma!” he exclaimed. Meena beamed with happiness. Preparing the dish together made it even more delicious.

After lunch, the villagers began preparing for Jallikattu, the renowned bull-taming festival. Young men in the field awaited their turn to demonstrate their courage.

The bulls, adorned with bells and cloth of bright color, were brought in. The crowd cheered when the competition started.

Arun gazed in wonder. He was impressed by the courage of the participants. Although he was too young to participate, he hoped to join one day.

Priya, however, was more fascinated by the rangoli competition taking place nearby.

The festivities continued with the sunset, relatives went to each others homes to exchange sugarcane and Pongal offerings. People dancing traditional folk dances such as Karagattam and Kummi.

Arun, Priya and other children laughed and played in the village as they enjoyed the festive atmosphere. The elderly sat around, reminiscing about previous Pongal festivities.

When the sun set, the village came together for a last prayer. Lamps were lit, and the temple priest blessed all. Arun felt extremely happy.