This three-day harvest festival is celebrated every year in Magha (January/February). The word 'pongal' refers to the dish of sweet rice prepared on this occasion. The festival is celebrated widely in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Pongal corresponds to the solar equinox when the days begin to lengthen and the nights begin to wane. According to Hindu mythology, this is when the day of the gods begins, after a six-month long night. The festival is spread over three days and is the most important and most fervently celebrated harvest festival of south India.

A special puja is performed on the first day of Pongal before the cutting of the rice paddy. Farmers worship the sun and the earth by praying to their ploughs and sickles. It is with these tools that the newly harvested rice is cut. The first day is called Bhogi Pongal and is a day of family feasting and enjoyment.

Since the festival celebrates the harvest of the paddy crop, the newly harvested rice is first cooked on this day. The rice grains, along with sesame seeds, jaggery, chickpeas, groundnuts and dried coconut, are put into an earthen pot filled with milk. This is boiled until some of the milk spills over, and the preparation is called 'Pongal'. It is generally cooked at an auspicious hour, recommended by the priest, in the courtyard of the house. A portion of the cooked rice is offered to Ganesha, and the family, neighbors and friends share the rest as special food.

The second day is known as Surya Pongal, the day for the worship of Surya, and the rice cooked in milk and jaggery is offered him. On this festive day, newly married couples, symbolizing freshness and joy, are presented with new clothes by the brides’ parents.

The third day is known as Mattu Pongal or Gopuja, the day of Pongal for cows. It is marked by cattle worship. In earlier times, cattle formed the chief asset of an agriculturalist. The cattle are given a ceremonial bath in the morning, their horns are cleaned, polished and painted, and then decorated with flowers. They are then given Pongal to eat.  Arati is performed on them, so as to ward off the evil eye.

Sisters celebrate Muttu Pongal for the welfare of their brothers, also called Kanu Pongal. This festival is similar to Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Duja of north India.

The harvest festival of Pongal symbolizes the veneration of the first fruit. The crop is harvested only after a certain time of the year, and cutting the crop before that time is strictly prohibited.     

Originally, Pongal was a festival for the farming community. Today everyone celebrates it.

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