Pongal is a vibrant and auspicious harvest festival widely celebrated in South India that holds immense significance in Tamil Nadu.
The festival is observed every year in January, during the Tai month of the Tamil solar calendar, and is dedicated to the Sun God, marking the beginning of Uttarayan and the transition of the sun into the Capricorn zodiac, symbolising the end of winter and the onset of the harvest season.
It is one of the biggest harvest festivals, celebrated along with Makar Sankranti in Western India, Lohri in Northern India, and Magh Bihu in Eastern India.
As communities come together to express gratitude for the bountiful harvest and invoke blessings for the future, read this article below to find out everything you need to know about Pongal 2024, including the date, time, significance, and rituals.
Pongal 2024: Date and Timings
Celebrated with immense joy, the festival of Pongal usually spans four days. This year, since 2024 is a leap year, the festivities will begin on January 15, i.e., Monday, and conclude on January 18, i.e., Thursday.
Refer to the schedule below for the dates and auspicious timings of Pongal 2024:
Pongal 2024: Significance and Rituals
The festival is named after the traditional sweet dish Pongal (boiling over). It’s a special rice dish cooked with freshly harvested crops, milk, and jaggery.
Dated back to the Chola dynasty, the Pongal dish appears in numerous manuscripts and inscriptions, even in some Hindu temple inscriptions from the Chola and Vijayanagara Empire periods, stating specific recipes as well.
As this festival signifies prosperity, abundance, and the renewal of life, emphasising the deep connection between nature and human life, each day of the four-day festival has unique rituals.
As families come together to express gratitude for the agricultural abundance that sustains their lives, the festival of Pongal is more than a harvest festival; it is also a celebration time for families to come together, thus emphasising the connection between nature and human life.
We wish our readers a very happy Pongal 2024. May the vibrant and joyous festival of harvest bring happiness and good luck to you all!
