(Photo courtesy of Little India Shopkeepers & Heritage Association – LISHA)
Pongal is the only Hindu Festival that follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on the 14th of January every year. It marks the beginning of Uttarayana, the Sun’s movement northward for a 6 months period. Very significant for farmers, Pongal Festival marks the end of the harvesting season. During this period, markets are flooded with agricultural produce.
The celebrations also signify a thanksgiving festival for Hindu deities, where devotees pay respects to Lord Indra, the God of Heavens, Sun God and their cattle. In fact in Hindu temples, visitors can hear the ringing of bells, drums, clarinets and conch shell heralding the joyous occasion of Pongal. To symbolize a bountiful harvest, rice is cooked in new pots until they boil over. Some of the rituals performed in the temple include the preparation of rice, the chanting of prayers and the offering of vegetables, sugar cane and spices to the Gods. Devotees then consume the offerings to free themselves of past sins.
0 comments:
Post a Comment