(To pronounce Pongal, when you say the “Po”, make your lips go out so that they make an O, sort of like you are puckering them, and then keep them out as you say the rest of the word. It is rather fun to say!)
Happy Pongal everyone! I know by now you are all wondering what the heck Pongal even is. Luckily for you, I got the honor of attending a Pongal celebration and can tell you all about it! =)
Unlike our New Year that always begins on the 1st of January, in Tamil Nadu the new year starts with the new moon. (So this year it was in the middle of the January.) The actual word ‘pongal’ refers to the rice that is soaked in a brand new pot in front of the whole village. The new pot represents the New Year, which is pretty much what the entire celebration is about: The New Year. Hence the name, Pongal. (Oh also, they wait for the rice to boil over the top and depending on which directions it comes out, means something. What? That I do not know…) This celebration did not include actually worshiping other gods, but they do worship the Sun and the Cow. These two things are worshiped because of the work they do. The whole year, the cattle works for the people plowing the land and the sun then provides the food, so that is why they are worshiped.
But one thing I do not think I will ever be able to get over is how extremely gracious and hospitable the people are. Here we were, a bunch of foreign students who knew nothing about their religion or celebrations, yet they welcomed us with open arms, made us tons of food and let us sit in their house while they all sat on the porch to eat food. I just felt extremely welcomed and couldn’t get over how amazingly gracious they were!
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