Friday, January 12, 2007

Happy Pongal/Sankaranti

Dear Samayalites,Friends,Readers,

Hope that your Newyear has started with new wishes and dreams.May The Divine be with you all in all your endeavors.

My First post in this NewYear is starting with Pongal Wishes.Pongal or the Harvest Festival of South India-as i explain to my American friends as Indian Thanksgiving.We thank the SUN god(Surya Bhagavan) for giving a good harvest by cooking the newly harvest rice from fields and offering it to the God(it is done before Sunrise) and asking his blessing to continue the next year.It is celebrated as Pongal in TamilNadu and Sankaranti in other parts of India.Pongal is also called Farmer's Festival(Ulavar Thirunaal).

Read more here.

Back home Pongal mood is set the night before starting from choosing kolam/rangoli to decorate the front entrance/patio.

kolam / rangoli
Then the following morning,wake up before sunrise.The stage for Pongal pooja is set in the front of the home.All kinds of vegetables,sugarcane are placed as offering along with 3 brick/clay stones to be posed as Stove on which the pongal pot is placed.The newly harvest rice is cooked and offered to God.
pongal pot
Wish You all a Happy Pongal and Happy Sankaranti.Meet you all after Pongal with sweet pongal(sakarai pongal) dish.


Pics - http://www.pongalfestival.org

12 comments:

Nidhi said...

Happy Sankaranti to you too! I am here for the first time and I must say you have a nice blog here.

That picture of rangoli is awesome. Thanks for sharing it with us and wish you and your family a very Happy New Year.

Nidhi

Rashmi said...

Thanks Nidhi.
Happy to get another samayalite.

Lakshmik said...

Hi Rashmi

Came across your blog through one of your comments. Nice recipes. I have added this blog to my blogroll. Cheers!

Rashmi said...

Thanks Lakshmi for adding my blog.I am getting new friends.

Anonymous said...

Hello Rashmi,

I loved the contents of your website ..detailing about the Indian festivals and cuisine. Loved the picture of rangoli.

Thanxs & Best Regards
Sushma

FH said...

Hi Rashmi,loved the photos and the info!Happy POngal to you and your's!:))

Rashmi said...

Thanks Sushma for visiting.

Asha,nice to hear from you.Happy pongal to you and your family.

Anonymous said...

Happy Pongal Rashmi !

Revathi said...

Happy Pongal Rashmi !!!

Unknown said...

Happy pongal rashmi..

USHA said...

Hi Rashmi,

This is my first visit,oh god!how could i miss these manydays....anyway thanks Jayakarthik..

Through her blog only i came to know about your blog,i liked all post,,tamizh manam visuthaey....

It was very nativity.....i'm adding you to myblog roll...

Thanks in advance and pongal thirunal vazhuthukkal....

Rashmi said...

Happy pongal to you too Priya.

Pongal Wishes to you too Revathi.

Very very Happy pongal Maheswari.

Thanks for visiting Usha.Unkalukum Pongal Nal vazhthukkal.