Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Thai Pongal: The charming festival of

Thanksgiving

Thai Pongal: The charming festival of Thanksgiving

by K. Thirukumaran

Tamil month of ‘Thai’, falling on January 14th or 15th is Pongal day, the Tamil Thanksgiving Day celebrating sun, rain, farm cattle and ushering in pureness and prosperity.

In Sri Lanka, Thai Pongal is celebrated on Jan 14th in 2014, in accordance with the Tamil almanac.

Thai harvest celebration and thanksgiving are marked by the spillover of the traditional sweet rice cookout and everything good in abundance to follow in the year it joyously indicates.

Celebrated Philosopher-Poet Thiruvalluvar says in the first Kural ~ couplet, under Part I ~ Virtue (1.1.1 The Praise of God),

“As the letter A is the first of all letters, so the eternal God is first in the world”. (Translated by Rev. G.U. Pope)

(“Agara Muthala elluththellam Athi pakavan muthatre ulagu”)

On Thai Pongal Day, the Sun is the celebrated Athi pakavan, the eternal God.

The farmers’ markets around towns and villages bustle with activity during days preceding Thai Pongal. The bountiful harvests parade the markets, and the final day the market convenes prior to Pongal known as Pongal Santhai (Pongal market) especially lavishes in prosperous sentiments.

Thai Pongal is extremely popular with children.

The legendary Kuzhandai Kavignar Azha Valliappa, (1922-1989) a pioneer known for dedicated work of children’s literature in Tamil, wrote the following poem about Pongal in his collection of poetry for children, Malarum Ullam (Blossoming minds):

The poem brings out the charm in preparing for and celebrating Pongal festivities, and roughly translates as follows:

Walls newly painted
floors neatly polished

Day break shower
Lamp within flicker

Garner decorated crock
Dazzle around turmeric

Crock atop stove
Milk therein pour

Foaming milk spillovers
Greetings galore ‘Pongal ‘o Pongal’ *

Offer almighty rice
Coconut sugarcane feast

Together we eat
Singing dancing joyously

* Greeting on Pongal day saying “Pongal ‘o Pongal” signifies the abundance of milk foam spillover, from the clay pot and other vessels that are used to make the sweet rice – Pongal, as sign of prosperity and happiness.

‘Thai paves the way for good things to follow’, is a Tamil proverb.

Thai Pongal marks the first day of the Tamil month January; it is also the celebrated Tamil month for weddings, lasting introductions to eternal friendships and love.