Sathankulam: Thai Pongal is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month. On the occasion of this festival, Thileepan Maharasan and Supriya — a couple from Sathankulam of Thoothukudi district — celebrated the harvest festival with pomp. Supriya, who is a doctor in Tirunelveli, is from Tripura and is holding a family get-together called "Pongalo Pongal".
"In Tripura, the Pongal is known as "Hangrai". There is a lot of difference between the two festivals celebrated thousands of kilometres apart. I wish everyone a happy Tamil Pongal festival," she said. The continued celebration by people from Tripura has left everyone elated.
The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TNTDC), the Union Ministry of Tourism and the state tourism department celebrated Pongal in Nanjikottai village near Thanjavur with more than 75 tourists from Spain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and the United States.
The foreigners were welcomed traditionally with auspicious music and 25 varieties of delicious food were served in banana leaves in a coconut grove. Dressed in traditional attires — dhoti and saree — they sat with everyone to relish food, entertained by a dancing horse.
Jallikattu bulls, fighting goats, fighting roosters, native dogs, racing horse carts and racing bullock carts were displayed in the grove. Everyone took pictures with them and enjoyed themselves. Subsequently, the district revenue officer, Thiagarajan, garlanded them at the village border. All the tourists rode bullock carts to the beat of the drums around the streets of Nanjikottai village.
Women on the streets welcomed them by drawing colourful kolams in front of their houses and performing aarti. At the door of every house, they kept old household appliances like Ural, Ammi and Attukal and showed them how to pound paddy. After this, the tourists reached the Nanjikottai Ayyanar temple, welcomed with the music of the horn. They were delighted to see the women preparing Pongal in earthen pots in the temple and joined hands with them chanting "Pongalo Pongal".
They also played games like Kabaddi, Silambam, Uri Aitthal, Vazuku tree climbing, Ilavata stone lifting, and rope pulling.
Rural handicrafts like pottery making, bamboo basket weaving, strip weaving, rope twisting, henna application, bangle making, parrot and hand astrology left them bemused.
Traditional arts of Tamil Nadu such as Naiyandi Melam, Karakattam, Kavadiyattam, Kalayattam, Mayilattam, Poikal Kudhira Attam, Oyilattam, Tappattam, Pachikali Pavakkal Attam, Deviyar Attam, Karupavamy Attam, Deepandam and other dance performances were held in honour of them.
Mallar Kambam, a physical game, impressed everyone. They were served sugar pongal, chickpeas, bananas, sugarcane and coconut water.
The villagers said they were very happy to celebrate Pongal with their loved ones. The event was attended by the district tourism officer, Shankar, Thanjavur Tourism Development group coordinator, Muthukumar, former Nanjikottai Panchayat president Sathyaraj and other villagers.
The people of Thoothukudi drew kolams in front of their houses, placed a stove on it and put a Buddha Rishi in a new pot to prepare the dish. Pongal pots were placed in front of all the houses on Thoothukudi Kamakshi Amman Temple Street. When the milk started to boil, the people worshipped the sun god and welcomed Thai Pongal by saying "Pongalo Pongal".
Pongal was celebrated enthusiastically in various areas including Ponnakaram Junction Vinayagar Temple Street, Thiraviya Puram and Shanmugapuram in Thoothukudi. People from all walks of life prayed for the prosperity of agriculture and well-being. Christians also took part in the festival with glee by visiting St. Susaiyappar Church in Kurushpura where a large number of people participated in the special mass.
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