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Pongal
is celebrated on the same day as Bihu, Lohri and Bhogi.
But Pongal stretches over four days. The word Pongal
literally means "boiling over" and celebrates
the bounteous crops in the fields. This festival is
the biggest event of the year for the Tamils as well
as for the people of Andhra Pradesh.The first day, Bhogi-Pongal
is devoted to Bhogi or Indran, the rain god. The day
is linked with the famous mythological tale about Krishna
lifting Gobardhan parbat on his little finger. The day
begins with a til oil bath and in the evening there
is a bonfire made of old cloths, files, mats and rugs.
The
second day, Surya-Pongal, is dedicated to the Sun
(Surya). On this day, pongal (rice cooked in milk
and jaggery) is bolied by women who offer it to the
Sun.
Mattu-Pongal, the third day, is the day dedicated
to the worship and veneration of cattle (mattu). The
horns of the cattle is decorated with turmeric and
kumkum, small bells and flowers are hung around their
neck and they are paraded in the streets. The pongal
that has been offered to the local deities is given
to the cattle to eat.
The
last day is known as Kanyapongal. Coloured balls of
the pongal are made and are offered to birds. A kind
of bull-fight, called the 'Jallikattu' is held in
Madhurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjore in Tamil Nadu
and several places in Andhra Pradesh. Bundles containing
money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls, and
unarmed villagers try to wrest the bundles from them.
Bullock Cart race and cock-fight are also held. In
Andhra Pradesh, every household displays its collection
of dolls for three days. Community meals are held
at night with freshly harvested ingredients.
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