Always follow your heart :): The Indian version of "Thanksgiving"

Pongal festival marks the arrival of the month of “Thai” (the 10th month in the Hindu calendar) and it is celebrated to thank the Sun. The existence of plants and other living organisms are due to the presence of Sun. Sunlight is an important element in photosynthesis and is the reason for the proliferation of plants. Our main food source is rice. Thus, after all, the hard work farmers will pray for their reliance on the sun to be paid off. As a result, they will celebrate the resemblance of the sun which can be seen by the amount of harvest they obtain.

The amount of sweat and dedication towards the planting of paddy will be celebrated like a festival especially in villages back in India. The place to cook the sweet rice (Pongal) will be setup with sugarcanes, bricks and sometimes “kolam” will be in the base to accentuate the festival spirit. The setup will be as below:

Example of setup.
Source: Google

Firstly, milk is added to the decorated pot and we wait for it to boil. Once the milk shows signs of flowing out from the pot, everyone will cheer “Pongolo pongal” at that moment and then subsequently rice will be added together with some water if the liquid is not enough. Later on, jaggery, dried fruits, cashews, and ghee are added. All are mixed together and then some of the contents will be scooped out to see whether it’s cooked overall. Once the cooking process is completed, the “Pongal” can be consumed right after the prayers.

The second day of the month “Thai” is dedicated to appreciating the cows which also contribute to the farm works. Before the introduction of modern technology, the farms were managed traditionally whereby buffalos are used to plow the land and also to carry out other heavy jobs. The buffalos/ cows will be bathed and decorated and “Pongal” will be cooked once again as the first day but instead of us consuming it, it will be served to the buffalos/cows.

Source: Google

The following day, Pongal will be done by unmarried women who pray to be blessed with a fruitful marriage life soon. This commemoration leads to the unity of women from different backgrounds and this may lead to a new friendship. Moreover, when an entire family gathers for the girl she will feel belonged and believe that she will always be one of the family even though when she has to leave her home in the future. The love towards each other grows.

The celebration of “Pongal” is all about celebrating hard work and expression of gratitude towards nature (Sun) and to the living organisms who lend a hand without expecting anything in return. Besides that, it also strengthens the bond and gives hope for better days ahead. Solutions for our problems can be found when we open our heart and mind to the opportunities out there without relinquishing. Moreover, it’s also about the realization of our role not only for those as farmers but also everyone else as humans. When “The Sun” is able to flourish our planet, we too should contribute in making our planet a better place to live. Firstly, would be by appreciating the food we get and avoid wastage since there are more unfortunate people who are struggling to have food on the table. Changes in our environment are also due to irresponsible human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, open burning which leads to changes in the climate as well. Changes in these gradually lead to the lower proliferation of crops. Thus, “Pongal” is not only about happiness and celebration but also about realization and acknowledgment as well.

It is always special when we are able to celebrate a festival with so many values together outside our home. During my 1st year, Tamil Language Unit (TLU), Jeli Campus organized an event called “Aghniyin Varnam” which was based on Pongal celebration. It’s an annual event and I was glad to be in the committee. One of the best parts would be the “Pongal cooking competition”, where we had Malay and Chinese participants as well. Reminiscing those fun filled moments and waiting to create more as “ONE”.