One of many main festivals in Southern India, Pongal is a four-day-long conventional competition celebrated predominantly within the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. It is among the most essential festivals in India. It marks the start of the month of Makara, which indicators the entry of the Solar into Uttarayana. Many individuals additionally have a good time Pongal as a harvest competition since harvesting is undertaken for crops like rice and sugarcane.
In 2026, Pongal begins on Wednesday, 14 January, and ends on Thursday, 15 January.
Begin Pongal with insights out of your Tamil horoscope
Numerous Sorts of Pongal Competition
Day-after-day of the four-day celebration is marked by a distinct competition and custom. There are 4 kinds of Pongal being celebrated in India and these embrace Bhogi Pongal, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal.
Bhogi Pongal
The annual competition begins with Bhogi Pongal. This present day is devoted to the rain god Lord Indira. Since that is the time of harvest, it’s customary to worship the rain god for good rains that make the harvest doable. Devotees sing and dance in reward of Lord Indira for wealth and luck as a part of the festivities.
Thai Pongal
That is the primary day of the Pongal competition and an exceptionally essential event. Thai Pongal is the Solar’s first day in Uttara yana. So, it’s also Surya Pongal or Solar Pongal. A Kolam, which is a design hand drawn by the females in the home utilizing lime powder, is made on the entrance of the home. Throughout the day, rice is cooked together with milk and jaggery in a pot which is then provided to the Solar god together with sugarcane, coconut, and bananas. This dish can also be known as Pongal.
Mattu Pongal
On today, folks worship cattle, particularly cows as they’ve lengthy been thought-about a logo of fertility and prosperity in conventional Hindu households. They’re worshipped as a way to make sure the continuance of wealth and luck in life as a brand new season commences. Additionally, within the extra distant previous, it was the cattle that ploughed the land for people whose efforts enabled a wonderful harvest through the Pongal time. So, they’re worshipped alongside the gods as a logo of gratitude and devotion. On this auspicious day, cattle are adorned with bells, flower garlands, and different equipment and other people additionally carry out aarti to venerate them.
Kaanum Pongal
The final day of the competition, Kaanum Pongal marks the conclusion of festivities. On today, ladies pray for the nice fortune of their household and the household of their brothers. Arati is carried out, and holy water is sprinkled in every single place in the home and out of doors.
Pongal – A Very Sacred Celebration
In response to Hindu perception, Pongal may be very auspicious. Pongal 2025 timing is taken into account among the many most sacred of the yr. The importance of Pongal is that the Solar has completed its transition by way of Dakshinayana and is coming into the Uttarayana. This implies the Solar is progressively regaining its powers which had been in a weakened state throughout Dakshinayana. When it comes to seasons, Pongal symbolizes the arrival of the Spring-Summer time season when it will get progressively hotter. For this reason Pongal is taken into account appropriate for brand spanking new beginnings.
It’s the day when the devoted categorical gratitude for the presents they get pleasure from in life, like good meals and a loving household. A lot time is spent on festive actions on Pongal Day. The Pongal season is historically additionally the time when folks exit on a purchasing spree and spend probably the most cash through the yr. That is additionally the rationale why even film stars select Pongal because the event for the discharge of their motion pictures.
Similarities Between Pongal and Sankranti
There isn’t any doubt that Pongal and Sankranti are the identical. The outline of Pongal being a harvest competition was a later addition. Historically Pongal marks the coming into of the Solar into Uttarayana, which suggests the top of winter and the start of the Spring-Summer time months forward. Sankranti is the purpose when the Solar transitions from one zodiac to the subsequent. Whereas each such transition to a distinct zodiac is technically a Sankranti, the phrase Sankranti colloquially means Makar Sankranti, which sees the Solar transitioning to Makara. The title Makar Sankranti is used ceaselessly in northern elements of India.
Why Do We Have a good time Pongal?
The auspicious competition of Pongal is widely known within the month of Thai. That is additionally the month of weddings. Fertility and prosperity of household and society are celebrated throughout today. On today, devotees thank the gods and nature for the wealthy harvest. Solar, rain, and cattle are worshipped throughout Pongal. It’s believed that celebrating Pongal ushers in wealth, peace, and prosperity to all.
Within the trendy world, Pongal has its inception in historical historical past, and there are two tales related to the celebration of Pongal. In a single story, Lord Shiva as soon as requested Basava, his bull, to descend on Earth and educate people one of the best ways to steer their lives ahead. Shiva needed people to eat as soon as a month and to have an oil bathtub day-after-day. However Basava received the message combined up. He mentioned that people wanted to eat each day and get oil baths as soon as a month. This irritated Lord Shiva. He banished Basava to reside on Earth without end and was tasked to plough the fields to provide extra meals for people. It’s due to this purpose that individuals worship cattle on today.
In response to the opposite story, Lord Krishna as soon as went bitter on Lord Indra, the rain god. He requested the folks within the village to cease worshipping Lord Indra. Aggravated, Lord Indra pounded the village with days of rain and thunderstorms. However Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain and shielded the village from the rain. Lord Indra was humbled and was pressured to simply accept the divinity of Lord Krishna. These two episodes mirror the steps taken by people as a part of social evolution. First, they discovered to cultivate animals, after which they tamed pure disasters by way of irrigation, each of which enabled them to reap sufficient meals to maintain them by way of the yr.
Who Celebrates Pongal in India?
The competition of Pongal is often celebrated by Hindus and Vedic astrology varieties the bottom of it. The passing of the Solar from winter solstice in the direction of Spring is predicated on the Vedic calendar. Nonetheless, in trendy society, the competition of Pongal, very similar to every other giant competition, has assumed a secular character and is seen extra as a harvest competition than a sure level within the transition of the Solar across the chart. Subsequently, as we speak nearly everybody in South India enjoys celebrating Pongal with pomp and fervour.
What Ought to You Eat Throughout Pongal?
Because the celebration of Pongal is centred across the making of a dish additionally recognized by the title Pongal, most individuals devour this throughout celebrations. It’s ready by boiling rice with milk in a clay pot. There are two kinds of Pongal. In a single, sugar or jaggery is added to make the dish candy. It’s known as Chakkara Pongal. One other manner is so as to add clarified butter to the dish, which is known as Venn Pongal. Spicy Venn Pongal is called a preferred breakfast merchandise and is loved by Tamil natives.
Significance of Pongal in Astrology
Astrology may be thought-about the muse of Pongal. It indicators the Solar rising again in energy after the top of the Winter solstice. This occurs when it enters the tenth Zodiac of Makara (Capricorn). Within the Gregorian calendar, this event falls on January 14-15. The winter solstice now occurs nearly a month earlier, on December 21, however since Vedic astrology is predicated on Nakshatras (star constellation) and never the Solar, like in Western astrology, the date stays the identical millennia after millennia. The phrase Pongal means to boil and overflow. This refers back to the preparation of the Pongal dish, which is full when the combination boils and overflows out of the clay pot.
Pongal can also be celebrated as Makar Sankranti, Lohri, and Kicheri in different elements of India.
Now that you already know all the pieces in regards to the Pongal competition and celebrations, we hope you will have a spectacular celebration this yr.
