When is Pongal Festival 2024: Date, history, and everything you must know

Pongal Festival 2024: Pongal is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of the South India, mainly Tamil Nadu. Check the date of Pongal 2024 and, all the other details you need to know.

Pongal Festival, Pongal 2022

Pongal, also referred to as Thai Pongal, is one of the popular Indian festivals celebrated in several areas of India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and it marks the end of winter solstice. Here’s all you need to know about Pongal in India, including its history, significance, and festivities.

Pongal 2024 is on Monday, 15 January.

About Tamil Festival Pongal in 2024

Pongal is a traditional Indian festival that is celebrated in the southern states. Farmers celebrate this harvest festival to thank God for a year long good harvest. The four days of Pongal festival- Bhogi Pongal, Surya Pongal, Maattu Pongal, and Kanum Pongal, has its own value and significance. This Indian festival is devoted to Surya, the sun god, and coincides with Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival celebrated in other parts of India.

Let’s learn more about this Indian festival below.

History behind the Pongal Festival

Pongal festival is traced back to the 200 B.C – 300 A.D. There are also two most famous legends associated with this festival.

Lord Shiva once instructed his bull, Basava, to travel to the earth and tell the people to eat once a month, have an oil massage and bathe every day. Basava accidentally announced that everyone should take an oil bath once a day and eat every day. Lord Shiva was so enraged that he exiled Basava to Earth for all eternity  to assist the people on Earth in producing more food. It’s believed that this is why cattle are still associated with this day.

Lord Krishna once asked everyone residing in Gokul to stop worshipping Lord Indra because of Lord Indra’s growing pride at being the King of Gods. Angry Indra then caused three days of thunderstorms and flooding. Lord Krishna then lifted Mount Govardhan, giving all beings shelter and displaying his grandeur to Lord Indra. Lord Indra’s arrogant pride was broken as a result of this, and he apologised to Lord Krishna.

When is Pongal 2024 Festival?

In 2024, Pongal will begin on the Monday, 15 January and end on Thursday, 17 January. However, this festival is observed at the beginning of Tai month according to Tamil solar calendar.

Four Days of Pongal 2024

Let’s see how is Pongal festival celebrated in the span of four days.

Day 1- Bhongi Pongal

The first of Pongal festival starts with Bongi Pongal. It also marks the last day of the Tamil month Marghazi. On this day, people get go of their old possessions and celebrate in their new ones. The crowd gathers and builds a bonfire to burn the discard heaps. To create a joyful atmosphere, homes are cleaned, painted, and decorated.

Day 2- Surya Pongal

The second day of Pongal festival is called Surya Pongal. This day is dedicated to the Hindu sun god Surya. The sun enters the 10th house of the zodiac Makara, marking the beginning of Uttarayana. The Pongal dish is prepared in an open place in front of the sun in a traditional earthen pot. A turmeric plant or flower garland is also tied to the pot. Tamil Hindus decorate the doorway of their house with banana and mango leaves.

Day 3 - Mattu Pongal

The third day of Pongal festival is called the Mattu Pongal. Mattu means “cow, bullock, cattle,” and cattle are significant to Tamil Hindus because they provide dairy products, fertilizers, conveyance, and agriculture support. Cattle are decked with flower garlands, given bananas, and worshipped during Mattu Pongal. Community sports and games like as the Jallikattu, a cow race, are also held during Pongal.

Day 4 - Kanum Pongal

The fourth day of the festival, Kanum Pongal, also known as Kanu Pongal, marks the end of the Pongal celebrations. On this day, many families get together for reunions. This day is all about  social gatherings. Communities plan fun interactions, and locals cut and consume farm fresh sugarcane. Relatives, friends, and neighbours stop by to say hello, pay their respects to the elders, and ask for blessings.

Popular Cuisine of Pongal Festival

The preparation of the traditional “pongal” dish is the most important aspect of the occasion. It’s made with newly harvested rice that’s been boiled with milk and raw cane sugar. Some people make salty and savoury variants of the Pongal dish in addition to the sweet version. 

Cooking takes place in a clay pot that is often decorated with flowers, and occasionally wrapped with a piece of turmeric root or marked with kolam. It is prepared either at home or in temples or open spaces. In Hindu temples, portions of the sweet pongal dish (sakkara pongal) are served as prasadam.

Pongal 2024 Festival in other Indian States

Pongal is one of the most prominent Tamil celebrations in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry. The harvest festival, which commemorates the conclusion of the winter solstice, is known by several names in different regions of India.

Name

Region

Pongal

Tamil Nadu

Makara Sankranthi

Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh

Sankranthi

Karnataka

Sankranthi

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

Uttarayana

Gujarat and Rajasthan

Maghi

Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab

Magh Bihu/Bhogali Bihu

Assam

FAQ On Pongal Festival 2024

Pongal 2024 will be celebrated on Monday, 15 January.

Farmers celebrate this harvest festival to thank God for a year long good harvest.

The preparation of the traditional “pongal” dish is the most important aspect of the occasion. It’s made with newly harvested rice that’s been boiled with milk and raw cane sugar. Some people make salty and savoury variants of the Pongal dish in addition to the sweet version. 

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