Pongal - The harvest festival

 Pongal - Thai Pongal the harvest festival of India, is celebrated as a four day festival starting with Bhogi, the last day of the month of Margazhi, Pongal - the first day of the month of Thai, Maatu Pongal - honouring the cows, bulls and buffaloes that help and the last day is Kaanum Pongal. The main festival of this 4 day festival is the Thai Pongal and this is celebrated as Makara Sankaranthi all over India. This day marks the journey of sun northwards and is called as Uttarayanam. 

This is the first festival of Gregorian Calender year and this marks the beginning of all auspicious events in any family. Thanking Sun God for all the abundant wealth he had given to the farmers is the main purpose of this festival. 

New mud pots are purchased and Sweet and Venn Pongal are prepared in these pots. The pots are deocated with rice flour, turmeric plants. All the vegetables are used to make thalatham or thalagam. Find below all the recipes that are made for Pongal. Also apart from the regular Pongal with jaggery.

As it is mandatory to use as much vegetables as possible depending upon the region and family tradition, either Thalatham or 7 kari kuzhambu or Aviyal is made as the side dish for Venn Pongal. 

Menu for the Pongal Festival

Chakkara Pongal

Venn Pongal

Thalatham or 7 kari kuzhambu or Aviyal

Ulunthu Vadai

Thengai Pachadi

Vazhaikkai Curry or Podimas

Rasam

Home made curd


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