Pongal 2019 in India: Dates, Significance, Celebrations & More

Pongal will be celebrated on 15 January this year.

Pongal is a harvest festival. 

(Photo: iStock)

Pongal is a four-day-long harvest festival which is celebrated with great zeal and fervour in southern parts of the country, especially Tamil Nadu.

The festival is known by different names in different parts of the country.

Pongal, which is celebrated to express gratitude towards God for a good harvest, falls in the month of January every year (when turmeric, rice and sugarcane are harvested). It also marks the beginning of Uttarayan – the Sun's journey towards north.

Pongal, which literally translates to "spilling over", has its roots in the tradition of boiling rice in a pot till it starts to overflow.

When Will Pongal 2019 Be Celebrated?

This year, the Pongal celebrations will start from Tuesday, 15 January and will end on Friday, 18 January. The four days of pongal are celebrated as:

• 15 January - Bogi Festival
• 16 January - Surya Pongal
• 17 January - Mattu Pongal
• 18 January - Kanum Pongal

How is Pongal Celebrated?

On the first day of Bhogi festival, special prayers are offered to the rain God. Some people follow it with a bonfire in the evening, dedicated to Lord Krishna. People dance and sing around the bonfire, singing praises of God.

The Sun God is worshipped on the second day of Pongal, which is also known as Surya Pongal. This day is usually marked by boiling rice and milk in an earthen pot, and offering it to the idol of the Sun. Women wear traditional white clothes and prepare kolam (rangoli). Some people also tie a turmeric plant to the boiled bowl of rice.

Cow worship is done on the third day, also known as Mattu Pongal. People tie bells around their cattle and seek their blessings. Cattle races are a common sight during Mattu Pongal and the occasion draws huge crowd.

The last day of Pongal or Kannum Pongal is marked by women praying for prosperity and well-being of their family. Women perform auspicious rituals by placing rice on a turmeric leaf and performing aarti.

On Pongal, people also prepare special dishes, including – Ven Pongal, Sakkarai Pongal, Chackra Pongal, Sweet Pongal and Rava Pongal.

(With inputs from pongalfestival.org)