'THAI' PONGAL (தைப்பொங்கல்)

 

From Sampath’s Desk:

 

FESTIVAL OF HARVEST ‘PONGAL’ HERALDING PROSPERITY

(தைப்பொங்கல்)

 

A seed is sown to be grown into a plant, creeper or tree which eventually gives to humankind its biological bounties for consumption. There are short-term and long-term crops. Trees come into being a long time after the seed is sown, more often by self-sustenance. Needless to say, a tree is known by its fruit. Whenever you enjoy fruit, think of the person who had sown the seed!

 

Tamil Nadu is agriculture-dependent, as is the rest of India. The farmer community has always been indefatigably toilsome and highly industrious. Getting up even before the dawn and after finishing the morning chores, they would set out for paddy (or other) fields to carry out agro-operations using different agriculture implements and equipment till the harvest time. They would feel elated to see plants grow day after day and make merry at their several gestational phases before they are made ready to give yield. The verdant, vivacious and sprightly rural setting of Tamil Nadu is unique in that both men and women carry out agricultural operations, during which periods, many would sing folk songs in order to steam off the heat and intensity of the hard labour and carry out agricultural operations with ease. Several such folk songs are popular and reverberate the traditional, customary and cultural ethos of people. Tamil Nadu has a long tradition of celebrating the Mother nature, with social and religious fervour called ‘Pongal’.

 

Rice being the staple food Tamil Nadu farmers sow the seeds, plough the field, and nurture and rear the saplings, treating them as their own offspring. Agriculture is an inseparable part of their life. They sweat it out to raise and protect the paddy crops and reap the harvest in the Tamil month ‘Thai’, beginning in middle of January when ‘Pongal’ is celebrated with enthusiasm, gaiety and gusto. Celebrations are more pronounced in rural areas. Whitewashing of the house is done and facelift given well in advance of the festival.

 

Mouthwatering ‘Sarkkarai Pongal’ (sweet rice) is cooked in traditional new earthen/clay pot with a necklace of tender-turmeric, tender-ginger, and sugarcane pieces adorning it, in the frontal open space outside the home, which space is decorated with ‘Kolam’ (Rangoli) extending Pongal greetings. Jaggery, milk, ghee, crushed cardamom seeds, dry-grapes (raisin, 'kishmish'' in Hindi)  cashew nut pieces, saffron, clove pieces, etc. are added to rice either while being cooked or thereafter in the right quantities, to make it ‘yummy’. The fete is to express gratitude to all that are instrumental to enable successful agricultural operations throughout. Sun God is worshipped to whom everything is dedicated. This is how people bestow their love, affection, respect, and regards for God, Mother Nature, living beings, environs, and other factors that are responsible for a vibrant life. The festival is celebrated as a social function in villages. All members of the families attired in new clothes would assemble mostly in front of their houses invariably in the sunlight to ready their specially decorated ‘Pongal pots’ even as they greeted each other. As the effervescent boiling rice spilled out of the pot, all would rejoicingly ululate ‘Pongalo Pongal’.

 

The spirit and warmth of this festivity serve as a tool of social networking and societal engineering what with the festive aroma permeating all over engulfing all villages and surrounding hamlets. For the peasant community, it is time to relax after yearlong hustle and bustle a farmer’s life is beset with focus on agriculture, livestock maintenance, irrigation, etc. throughout, and rejuvenate and energize themselves for the next agro-year. Whereas festivity in urban centres in somewhat subdued, lackluster and confined to concrete jungles and modern utensils, the rural scenario is different in that celebration mood would be upbeat, promoting cohesive co-existence and societal order – an apparatus of goodwill indeed!

 

The second day is celebrated as ‘Maattu Pongal’ when cattle are venerated. ‘Kaanum Pongal’ is celebrated the next day when people throng different places of interest and amusement. ‘Jallikattu’, fight with bulls to bring them under control, an ancient adventurous sport of Tamils is part of the celebrations.

 

The festival dons a dynamic outlook, because, besides being a human fiesta, it is also a thanks-giving to Mother Nature for her myriad bounties. Here lies an opportunity to renew relationships. Ancestors have thus bequeathed to us a glorious legacy of colourful celebrations of societal synergy strengthening the social fabric and bond.

  

R.SAMPATH

14/1/2020