Sunday, January 17, 2010

Indian Cultural Day - Thai Pongal











BN Youth was invited by MIC to celebrate the Indian cultural day of Thai Pongal on 16.1.2010 11am.

All of us were 'opened eye' on this cultural day that believed to be not so known by other races.

It was fun while waiting for the cow milk to boil and spill out from the claypot and also the game of hitting the pots hung under the ceiling with blindfolded.

Thai Pongal (Tamil: தைப்பொங்கல்) is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamils across the world. Pongal coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India in mid-January. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The boiling over of milk in the clay pot symbolizes material abundance for the household.
Thai Pongal celebrated at harvest time, it's a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the sun god, rain and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. In villages, new clothes are worn and people owning cows find this festival more important. Pongal is celebrated by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as Tamils in Sri Lanka.
This festival is widely celebrated in Tamil Nadu. The saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum" (தை பிறந்தால் வழி பிறக்கும்) meaning "the birth of the month of Thai will pave the way for new opportunities" is often quoted regarding the Pongal festival[1] . Usually, the festival takes place January 13 — 15 (on the Gregorian calendar). The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (December — January) to the third day of Thai (January — February).

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