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| Pongal 2018 greetings. ajabgajabjankari.com |
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| Pongal festival, Tamil nadu. Newsfolo |
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| Pongal festival, decoratedearthenpotsWebneel |
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| Pongal festival, Tamil Nadu. indiatoday.intoday.in |
The word Pongal in Tamil means ‘overflow’ or ‘boiling over’ and it marks the the gradual heating of the Earth's surface by the Sun. This is the reason why the festival begins (on the first of Thai, the rest being Mattu Pongal and the last one Kanum Pongal) by preparing a special dish called Sakkarai Pongal (sweetened boiled rice with Jaggery, turmeric and lentils), using harvested rice. The Pongal is brought to boil till it spills over the earthen-pot in rural (in urban areas, bronze pot is used. Offering it to the Sun God, along with puja, is made before eating it.
Important aspects of Pongal are drawing colorful Kolams (Rangolis), using different color (mostly rice flour is used) in front of the home and Puja room to give a grand welcome to Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) to bring in property, good health and peace of mind to the family and to the community.
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| Mattu Pongal. www.newsbugz.com |
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| Steaming Jallikattu bull?Google Play |
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| Mattu Pongal, decorated bulls. Shoes On Loose |
The underlying fact in this fascinating festival is money earned during the harvest time will help the people supplement their income. In this auspicious month and later, people will open new business, construct houses, conduct weddings, etc. The Tamil proverb "Thai pirandhaal vazhi pirakkum"meaning with the birth of Thai, a new path will be in sight to put our worries behind. It is quite appropriate as people begin the new Thai month on a positive note.http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2017/01/some-interesting-facts-about-hindu.html
http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2017/01/mattu-pongal-controvercial-jallikattu.html