The commencement of the New Year brings a slew of festival which Indians keep looking forward for the rest of the year. The four day long harvest festival Pongal holds a great value for the people of Tamil Nadu and traditionally it is a day to thank and appreciate the Sun God for helping in growing crops by providing energy for its growth as the farmers’ livelihood depends on it. The festival is marked by boiling the fist rice of the harvest, which is sanctified by the Sun.
Importance:
Pongal is one such festival, that is celebrated to thank the Sun God and Lord Indra for helping farmers in getting better-yielding crops. On Pongal day farmers prepare signature items like Pongal, Shakkara Pongal, sugarcane is offered. A special puja is also performed to thank the Sun god. This harvest festival is traditionally celebrated for four continuous days. First day of the festival falls on 13th January is called Bhogi. This is the day when people reject old belongings and welcome new stuff. Farmers burn their old household materials in fire while chanting “Paraiyana kadiwalum, Pudiyana Pugudulam” that literally means, “Let the old things go away and Let the new things come in”. The lesson inside is that people should change with changing time. New thoughts should be embraced and the old ones should be let go
Significance:
The period is referred to as Uttarayan Punyakalam which bears special significance in Hindu mythology and is considered to extremely auspicious. It is believed, this is the period when the Devas wake up after a half a year-long slumber during this period and bestow wealth and prosperity on earth. On this auspicious day the Tamils decorate their homes with banana and mango leaves. They also decorate their houses using rice flour decorative patterns.
History:
Pongal celebrations date back at least 2,000 years old as evidence suggests that it was celebrated even during the medieval Chola Empire days. Traditionally it is a day to thank and appreciate the Sun God for helping in growing crops by providing energy for its growth as the farmers’ livelihood depends on it. Pongal is one such festival, that is celebrated to thank the Sun God and Lord Indra for helping farmers in getting better-yielding crops. Pongal is celebrated on the third day of the Tamil month Thai. It is one of the most important festival for the Hindu families in Tamil Nadu that is celebrated for four days with great exuberance. Pongal is also the name of a dish that is made on this festival.
MAKAR SANKRANTI
Makar Sankranti also known as Makara Sankranti is celebrated in various parts of the Indian subcontinent to observe the day which marks the shift of the sun into ever-lengthening days. The festival is a seasonal observance as well as a religiouscelebration.Also, the day of Makar Sankranti is considered to be auspicious and meritorious.Makar Sankranti is among the most auspicious occasions for Hindus and is celebrated in almost all parts of India. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated in many cultural forms with immense devotion, fervor and cheerfulness.Sankranti (Sanskrit: संक्रान्ति saṁkrānti) means transmigration of the Sun from one Rāshi (constellation of the zodiac in Indian astronomy) to the next. Hence, there are 12 Sankrantis in a year.Many people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar (the point where the river Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal) and Prayag and pray to the Sun God (Surya). It iscelebrated with pomp in southern parts of India as Sankranti in Karnataka (Pongal in Tamil Nadu), and in Punjab as Maghi.Decoding why we fly kites during 'Makar Sankranti' ... According to the Hindu calendar Makar Sankranti is a festival celebrated at Magh 1st of Hindu Solar Calendar for the happiness of getting new crops for farmers. It also symbolises the end of the winter solace which makes the day last longer than nightOn Makar Sankranti, Sun travels from Southernmost point (Dakshinayan) to the northernmost point (uttarayan). ... The Sun moves from South to North duringUttarayan. According to astrology the six months period of the movement of Sun from Capricorn to Gemini zodiac, is called Uttarayan.
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