Monday, January 22, 2007

Mattu Pongal Day in Village

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In the recent Pongal days, the most I enjoyed one was Mattu pongal, which I spent in my mom’s aunty village. After my grandpa left all his bulls, years back we dint get change to celebrate the Mattu Pongal. Nowadays my thoughts, interest and wishes on villages and farming have increased, so that would be the reason for me to visit the village on mattu pongal day. I think its not only the farmers to celebrate this mattu pongal, every one who eats rice from the paddy should also celebrate the mattu pongal to thank the cattle’s for their handworks on the earth. Its wonder u know to see a village with green fields, with cattle’s and still alive in the same position till now as I see from years. When it was few km’s from Chennai, when the surrounding places are changing as Engineering collages and IT parks.

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It was mid afternoon, when we drive in the dusty old mahabalipuram road in the hot sun. This village is near Thiruporur, one side it was ex-salt pan areas, unfitted for agriculture, and the other side has good soil and water facilities. Mostly we visit to this village in summer times, so the lake would be dry with little water, but to my surprise the lake was filled with water and buffaloes were swimming. When we arrive, the people in the village were preparing their bulls for the Mattu Pongal, with colorful paintings on their horns and the bull carts, with balloons hanging. We spend some times in the fields; the green field was a beautiful scene to adore and the water from the pump set was great.

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In evening the bulls come to its place where they gather. One my one was took bath by our relatives and their horns were daub my turmeric and kumgumama (crimson powder) kept in his head, tail… new color cord were tied in his neck and mango leafs around its horn, the bulls were very quite with out any wayward. There was this cute white calf, looks very attractive in his bell tied cord; its hairs were very soft, it was pleasant when it runs. Have seen many goats, but this one was special with long ears. The village smell and the evening cool breeze have an awesome sense, I feel it after a long time. The evening was gorgeous as the sky was color of dark pink. When they were preparing to worship, I notice some colorful bull carts with children having fun on traveling in the cart, they were rounding the village. All bulls and plough objects were given camphor adoration and myrrh smoke was shown to it. It was very dark and the camera flash gives problem so the nigh pic was very dark. It went 8 .30 pm in night when we left the village, we had a good dinner in the village; the taste of the Karakulambe was great. More Pictures here

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26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeevan!
Mattu Pongal nowadays is little different?
Great pictures and great post.
Now, I know much more about different interesting culture and country.
All the best to you!

Anonymous said...

Wow!!!What a treat for the eyes!!!I miss India and my native Village sooooo much reading the Celebrations and seeing the pictures
inq8

Anonymous said...

Nalla irukku jeevan. happy to see u have celeberated mattu pongal in ur village. I used to go to my village for this day long time before.

Anonymous said...

all were nice pictures. Clarity romba nallavey irukkey!

Hope u enjoyed the celebrations! :)

Ravi said...

Wow Jeevan, indha Pongal series posts and pics are really awesome. I am happy that a young person like you takes interests in the traditional ways. Good, you should keep it up and pass it on to others too. I am sure your interest and posts would create enthusiasm in others too. As u rightly said, indha maadhiri nice villages around Chennai are fast disappearing maybe because of IT. We should definitely do something to preserve them. Thanks again for the lovely posts and pic Jeevan. [Special kudos to your mom for that wonderful kolam]

Ponniyinselvan/karthikeyan(1981-2005 ) said...

jeevan,
it's really wonderful.amazing photos.well done.

Anonymous said...

In a city like KL, we Indians had to celebrate it without the cows.

Keshi said...

awwww the lilk goats look so adorable! I love villages and the festivals like these. I wish I cud be there rite now!

Keshi.

tulipspeaks said...

nice pics.. been so long since i ever seen so many cows and goats! hehehehe


=ammu=

monu said...

wow..great
absolutely loved the calf, cho chweet.
reminds me of the fun i used to have in my mom's village.
:)

Anonymous said...

Good write-up and pictures on maatu ponggal. Nice, especially since I haven't seen any here :)

Anonymous said...

@ jeevan

heh a good collection of potos..

i have been in a city from i was born, but i gotta chance to visit a village (after a long time) last year.

it was truly amazing.

this post brought my memories of my visit.

good one!

Anonymous said...

Jeeva, superb my friend..
kutti aadu..kutti maadu..
wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
i am very jealous now

starry said...

Very touching post.took me back to when I was a child.Thank you for sharing your experience and the pictures.I am glad you had a good time.

Syam said...

missing a lot..thx for posting the pictures :-)

Visithra said...

awww the goat looks so cute with the pottu - ive only seen one mattu ponggal years back - looks like u had fun n thanks for sharing with us ;l)

Devilish Angel said...

Nice pics Jeevan...

Anonymous said...

Wow awesome post and pictures... really enjoyed... Its been ages since I saw a cow or a goat hmmm.....

Anonymous said...

woww! lovely pics. Jeevan ^_^ Rina enjoyed it, shes smilin' here beside me hehe ;)
thanx for sharin' dear! i miss my native awwww.... ;(

hows u? its been a while na... catch u on gtalk! take care!

cheers**

Anonymous said...

hey nan potta comment yen varala jeeva...

seri irundhalum solren innoru dhaba, fotos ellam supera irundhuchu n u njyd a lot apdingaradhu unga fotos n post paarthaley theriyudhu..

gud way of celebration..

Anonymous said...

updates illeya jeevan?


=ammu=

Anonymous said...

Good Documentation Jeevan.... Keep it up........

Jeevan said...

Krystyna – Hi:) No nowdays Mattu Pongal is very different; most of them are not celebrating this festival except in villages that have bulls. Glad to know u learn some about our festival. Thank you:)

Anonymous – Thank you so much!! Join celebration of a traditional festivals with loved in our native village is one can’t forget in our lives.

Niker – Thanks brother;) hope it must be a big crave for u on this day to get together with ur cousins and friend. Wish next year u may celebrate it will. How are u doing?

Karthik B.S. – Thank you karthik:) I enjoyed it very well.

Ravi – Thank a lot!! The encouragement and help from the government to the farmers will be a good solution to stop destroying the villages. The current Chief Minister who is developing the unsafe lands as a agriculture lands of Tamil Nadu should concentrate on the lands the IT parks are constructing. The every young should also have to care on our villages and agriculture.

Ponniyinselvan – Thank you ma! Ur recent pics in your blog are so sweet:)

Balajoe – Even in chennai also most of them celebrate it without cows.

Keshi – I wish u to visit our Indian villages:) Glad u like the pics!

Amutha - :) Thank you.

Monu – agreed… I too had lots of funs in my grandpa’s village once; they are still very green in my mind.

Jeevan said...

Geetha – Thank you:) for that u has to go to rural areas in Malaysia, try to visit a village with bro’s.

Barathwaj – happy that this post brigs ur village visit! Thanks:)

Thooya – Thanks Friend. Glad u like the kutties…. :)

Starry – Thanks, so happy to know it took back to ur child days. Thanks for sharing your comments with me:)

Syam - :)

Visith – glad u like it dear:) we had good fun, looking for the summer holidays to visit the village again with cousins.

Vanathi – Welcome after along time:) Thanks!

KK – Thank you friend. ya it would be rare to see cows, goats… in big cities.

Kathy – Thanks dear for showing the post to Rina, u both are so sweet;) I am fine Kathy, hope u are doing too, let we chat some time!

Ramya – enakku thariyala pa… there are some changes going on blogger. Innoru dhaba sonnathukku romba Thanksngo;) nice u enjoyed with me.

Amutha – my limited MB's for the month January has been finished that’s why I couldn’t update. Will do it soon…

Sherine David - Welcome here:) Thanks!

ashok said...

great snaps Jeevan...

Jennifer said...

Nice posts on Pongal! Amazing. Feels like I was there. I like the decorations and will try to replicate some here.. See my site when you find time..When you find time, stop by my Pongal page - Pakka Pongal Celebration in Tamil Nadu Village.

http://www.alaivani.com/Blog/tabid/56/EntryID/198/Default.aspx