Pongal 2022: Date, History, Significance And Everything You Need to Know

[welcomewiki]

Pongal marks the beginning of Uttarayan, the sun’s northward journey for the next six months. Pongal is also known as Thai Pongal. Here’s everything you need to know.

Pongal 2022: Date, History, Significance And Everything You Need to Know. Picture Credits: Unsplash

Pongal is widely celebrated among the Tamil community. It is a three-day multi-day Hindu harvest festival. This is celebrated in much grand and grandeur in Tamil Nadu and a few parts of Kerala. Pongal marks the beginning of Uttarayan, the sun’s northward journey for the next six months. Pongal is also known as Thai Pongal.Also Read - Makar Sankranti 2022: Celebrate The Festival With These Almond Based Recipes

The literal meaning of Pongal is spilling over or boiling. This resembles abundance and prosperity. Pongal is celebrated to thank God for providing a year-long good harvest. Along with this, Pongal is also named out of a sweet dish. It is made of rice, jaggery and milk. Also Read - Odisha Bans Makar Sankranti, Pongal Celebrations Amid COVID Cases Spike | Check Fresh Guidelines

Pongal 2022: Date
Pongal is a four-day festivity. The celebrations will begin from January 14 to January 17. It is dedicated to Hindu Sun God which matches with Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival. The festivities include Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal. People celebrate Bhogi Pongal, a day prior to Thai Pongal. Also Read - Makar Sankranti 2022: Date, Tithi, History And Significance of This Day

Pongal 2022: History
There are two major stories that revolve around the celebration of Pongal.
Once, Lord Shiva had asked Basava, his bull, to travel around the world to inform people to eat once a month, have a bath and oil massage every day. Basava communicated exactly the opposite of what he was told. He told people to bathe once a month and eat everyday.

This angered Lord Shiva and he ordered Basava to go into exile. He was made to assist people while ploughing. This is why cattle are linked with the harvest. There is another story to it. According to a few people, Lord Krishna told the people of Gokul to stop worshipping Lord Indra as he was arrogant and was filled with pride. This angered Lord Indra. He caused thunderstorms and flooding. To protect people, Lord Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan on his little finger to provide shelter to people. Lord Indra realised his mistakes and asked for forgiveness from Lord Krishna.

Pongal 2022: Significance
Pongal is all about letting go of the past and welcoming new things in life. Pongal is also known as Thai or Tai Pongal. People celebrate it to thank Lord Sun for a good harvest season. The four-day festivities are:

Bhogi Pongal: The first day of the four-day festivity is Bhogi Pongal. It marks the last day of Marghazi, Tamil month. People celebrate it together by lighting bonfires and burning discarded items of the house.

Surya Pongal: The second day is Surya Pongal. It is dedicated to Lord Sun or Surya Dev. People thank him for providing a good harvest and seeking blessing for happiness and prosperity. On this day, the houses are decorated with banana and mango leaves.

Mattu Pongal: The third day marks Mattu Pongal. Mattu means cow, cattle or bullock. This celebrates cattle as they provide dairy products, fertilizers and agriculture support. People worship cows like gods. They paint its horns with garlands and flowers.

Kanum Pongal: The last day is Kanum Pongal. This day strengthens the bond between people. A lot of people come together and celebrate it.