coimbatore: A Huge pongal has been celeberated at Maruthamalai Temple on 14 Jan 09. 
I covered live of spectacular celeberation of Pongal. Before going futher
all are must know the full details about Pongal.  Please keep on reading
and you will come to know the facts about our lovly festival.

About Pongal
 
Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festival of South India,
mainly Tamil Nadu. Pongal falls in the mid-January every year and marks
the auspicious beginning of Uttarayan - sun's journey northwards.
Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include drawing
of Kolam, swinging & cooking of delicious Pongal.

Four Days of Pongal

Lasting for over four days Pongal, a harvest festival is celebrated in
the month of Shravan. Pongal literally means, "boiling over".
The Tamil harvest festival is celebrated with decorated cows,
processions and decorative Rangoli. Pongal is a sweet porridge
made from newly harvested rice and eaten by all, even the animals.
Each day of this festival has a special significance, however,
it is celebrated more grandly in the villages, while the city folk
mainly celebrate on the second day only. It is widely celebrated in
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.


The festival is celebrated for four days. On, the first day, Bhogi,
the old clothes and materials are thrown away and fired, marking the
beginning of a new life. The second day, the Pongal day, is celebrated
 by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil over
 the vessel - a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal
(in Tamil). People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each other's
 homes, and exchange greetings.

The third day, Mattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cows and
 buffaloes, as they are used to plough the lands. Jallikattu, a violent
 taming the bull contest, marks this day. On the last day, Kanum Pongal,
 people go out to picnic. During the Pongal season, people eat sugar
canes and decorate the houses with Kolam.

Even though Pongal was originally a festival for the farming community,
today it is celebrated by all. Coinciding with Makara Sankranti and
Lohri of the north, it is also called Pongal Sankranti and thus
celebrated in some form in various parts of India.

Note : Please look on the original pictures and video taken by me on
at 1735 hrs on 14 Jan 08 at Maruthamalai Temple in Coimbatore (TN).