Pongal Pandigai, Pongal, what is Surya Pongal?
Surya Pongal
Second day of the Pongal festival is called as Surya Pongal. This is most important day of the festival. This day is dedicated to Sun God. People thank the sun god for providing the support for the harvest season. On this day Sun enters in to the Capricorn sign and it is the start of Uttarayana Punya kalam.
Surya Pongal is also called as Thai Pongal. It is celebrated on the first day of the Thai month. Every year Surya Pongal is observed on the same day. Because this festival is celebrated according to solar calender. every year, it is observed on the 14th January (or on 15th January). This festival is also celebrated as Makara Sankranthi, Uttarayana, Lohri, Magh Bihu and Bhogali Bihu in other parts of India.
Surya Pongal celebrations
Thai Pongal celebrations, How to Observe Surya Pongal?, Surya Pongal Rituals, How to celebrate Thai Pongal?
On Surya Pongal day, Women wake early in the morning. Draw kolams/rangolis in front of their doorway. For these designs they use colored rice flour. Houses are decorated beautifully with flowers on this day.
People bring new earthen pots for this day and cook sweetened rice, milk and jaggery. These are offered as naivedyam to the Sun God. All the family members wear new cloths and family elders present gifts to the young. Eating sugarcane is also considered auspicious on this day. People fly colorful kites.
Surya Pongal Puja Process
Thai Pongal Puja Vidhanam, Surya Pongal Puja Vidhi, How to perform Surya Pongal Puja?
On this day prayers dedicated to the sun god are chanted in the morning. A wooden plank is placed on the ground. Kolams are created around the plank. Image of the sun god is drawn on the plank.
Puja is stated during the starting of the thai month. People worship the sun god get his blessings. People boil the newly harvested rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new clay pots. In the pot, the knotted root of turmeric is kept and one side of this root is tied to the top of the pot. They include sugar, ghee and cashew nuts to it.
The moment the milk boils and spill out of the pot, the tradition is to shout of “Pongalo Pongal!” and blow the sangu (a conch). people believe that watching this brings good luck and prosperity. They offer this to the sun god to demonstrate gratitude for the harvest. People meet each other, exchange sweets and greetings.
