A four-day harvest festival: bonfires, rice boiled over in the Pongal pot, decorated cattle and at every door.
The story
- Tamil Nadu's harvest festival in the month of Thai, at the same time as elsewhere.
- The name means boiling over: new rice is cooked with milk and jaggery until the pot overflows, a sign of plenty.
- Four days: , , for the cattle (with Jallikattu), and with family.
What happens
Bonfire of the old
Homes are cleaned and old things burned in bonfires.
The Pongal pot
Rice is cooked in a new pot until it boils over, as a thanks to the Sun.
Thanking the cattle
Cattle are bathed and decorated.
Family outings
Families meet and picnic together.
Best places to see it
What to eat
Sakkarai pongal
Rice and moong dal cooked with jaggery, ghee and cardamom, with cashews and raisins; offered to the Sun.
Cooked in homes on Thai Pongal day.
Ven pongal
The savoury pongal: rice and moong dal with pepper, cumin, ginger and ghee, with sambar and chutney.
Homes, and South Indian breakfast places.
Know before you go
- Trains and buses to Tamil Nadu fill up in the days before Pongal; book early.
- Many shops and offices close for the four days.
Organised by
Community celebration
There's no single organiser. Local committees, temples and families make it happen, so welcome and etiquette matter more than tickets.