A Happy Thaipongal Day.🙏| 5% for SL Charity.
Yesterday was a special holiday due to the festival celebrated by the Tamil people called Thaipongal. This festival is celebrated by the Tamil people in every country. This festival is traditionally celebrated with the aim of harvesting and is mainly celebrated by Tamils in Tamilnadu -India, Malaysia, South Africa, USA, Canada, Singapore besides Sri Lanka.
They consider this festival special because it is attended only by the Tamil people.That is why they call it the "Tamil Thirunal" (Tamil People's Festival).Although we consider this to be a one day event, it is celebrated over a period of four days from January 12-15.
This festival has four basic parts.
- Bhogi pongal,: -
Here is one of the rituals of burning their used clothes and dresses before end of the old year.This day is considered as a day of purification. The house is decorated with mango leaves and banana trees to mark the departure from bad habits.
- Surya pongal,: -
This day, they are dressed new clothes perfectly, clean and create the KOLAM arts by tamil ladies.It is used as food for small insects such as ants. Rice flour is used for this purpose. Later, rice, milk, green gram, jaggery, cashews, raisins and ghee are the main ingredients used to whiten the cooking of Pongal rice.
- Mattu pongal,: -
These days are used to treat their animals that have contributed to their harvest.These animals are cleaned, sprayed with turmeric water, These animals are cleaned, sprayed with turmeric water, wear the bangles of flowers, and saffron and color coated .The horns of the animals are polished. Then they are given clean grass, sugarcane , jaggery, honey etc. for feeding and the cows are charmed by owner.
- Kanum pongal: -
This last day is used for going out and exchanging gifts with friends and family.One of the objectives is to enhance mutual co-operation.
Although we do not celebrate this day deeply in Sri Lanka, it is a big festival in neighboring Tamilnadu of India.In addition to the religious offerings at the Kovil, offerings are made to the god of sun.It is not intended for anything else.As a gift to the sun, including nature, who have been a great help to him in his agricultural endeavors.
Of course, it is a pity not to be able to see this experience and it is a festival that should be appreciated by all.Finally, if you have Tamil friends or neighbors, you can wish them a Happy Thaipongal Day and share that happiness with them.
Thank you.