Our Pongal

The last we celebrated Pongal in our traditional way i.e. cooking in firewood stove, was five years back, on the terrace of our native home in Adyar. Surrounded by close family members, we settled for a firewood stove, enclosed in bricks, and placing a new mud pot atop and calling Pongalo Pongal as the Pongal (boiled rice/milk) overflows the pot, it was quite delight as we ever so directly celebrated the festival under sunlight. Pongal is a festival celebrated esp. to thanksgiving the sun for it’s entice source of energy and other natural elements for helping farmers in good harvesting. Not only farmers, Pongal is believed to bring auspicious to everyone, the way Pongal boils over the pot.

Mom's Pongal Kolam, - in front of the gateway

Shifted to an individual house in 2013, I planned to celebrate the festival in more traditional flavor, bringing my dear ones into another cheerful enclosure of firewood, mud pot and sugarcanes. But nothing worked out and I couldn't make anything as I wished, as I myself suffered with the fracture in my femur. This year, still living in an individual house with enough space to make firewood stove, we went ahead to celebrate the festival, in our personal interest, as it was not possible to recreate a then moment.  I think personally, Pongal is a social festival and it should be celebrated by all together. Not only Pongal, but I think every festival is celebrated to bring togetherness and sharing.

Follows our Pongal Pot: