Significance of Pongal Festival
Posted on: 15/Jan/2019 12:11:15 PM
Pongal is the most important festival of the Tamilian culture and tradition celebrated in a grand manner with enthusiasm crossing the boundaries of even religious faiths.
Pongal is celebrated as a `thanks-giving’ occasion by the farming and working community to Mother nature and the other living creatures. The last day of the Tamil calendar month of Margazhi is celebrated as ‘Bhogi’festival.
The reasons for the Pongal celebration
As per the guidelines given by Lord Sri Krishna, the shepherds honoured and performed prayers to the Mountain Govardhan. Lord Indra was enraged by this and he proceeded to torment the shepherds with incessant storms and rains.
However, Lord Sri Krishna lifted the Mountain Govardhan and held as an umbrella atop protecting the shepherds and the sheep from the God Indra! Thu they were protected from the various attacks of Indra with different weapons. This day is known an celebrated as the `Surya Narayana Pooja’. God Indra realised his folly and requested Lord Sri Krishna that the shepherd community must worship him as well apart from the Mountain Govardhan, the shepherd started celebrating ‘Indra Vizha’ on the eve of the 1st day of Tamil Calendar month, Thai (1st) as Bhogi festival.
On the 1st Day of the month of Thai, the shepherds celebrated by worshipping the Sun God as ‘Suryanarayana Pooja’. The next day, they performed a special festival in honour of the cattle by celebrating ‘Mattu Pongal’ offering special food to the cattle and playing sports involving the bulls such as jallikkattu and manjuvirattu.
This tradition gradually changed over the years to transform into the present form of a ‘3-day’ Pongal festival.
It may be noted that as regards the Pongal Festival, it has always remained associated with agriculture.
