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About Pongal

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About Pongal

Thai Pongal is the harvest festival of the Tamil people. It falls on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai, when the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn), usually on 14 or 15 January.

Families thank the Sun, the land and the cattle for the harvest. New rice is boiled with milk and jaggery in a new clay pot until it froths over, and everyone calls out "Pongalo Pongal".

The festival runs for four days: Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal for the cattle, and Kaanum Pongal for visiting family. It is celebrated across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Sri Lanka and Tamil homes around the world.

  • Four days, Bhogi to Kaanum Pongal
  • Starts on the first day of Thai
  • Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore

Where it began

The word pongal means to boil over. The overflowing pot is a sign of abundance, and the dish itself is also called pongal. The day marks the start of the Tamil month of Thai, when the Sun begins its northward journey (Makara Sankranti).

Tamil sayings link the month to new hope: 'Thai pirandhal vazhi pirakkum', when Thai is born, a way will open. Farmers give thanks to Surya, the Sun, for the harvest of rice, sugarcane and turmeric.

Scholars link Pongal to the Thai Niradal of Sangam times, when young women bathed in rivers and prayed for rain and good fortune during the month of Thai.

A festive kolam with pongal pots at the centre

How it grew over time

  1. Sangam age

    Poems describe Thai month customs of fasting, river baths and prayers for the harvest.

  2. Chola times

    Temple inscriptions mention a harvest festival around the start of Thai, with offerings in temples.

  3. Medieval period

    Pongal became a four-day festival with Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal.

  4. Today

    Pongal is a public holiday in Tamil Nadu and is kept by Tamils across the world.

How it is celebrated in different places

  • Tamil Nadu

    Kolams fill every doorway, sugarcane stands by the door, and villages hold Jallikattu bull events in the Madurai region.

  • Sri Lanka

    Tamil families in Jaffna and beyond boil pongal at sunrise and visit temples.

  • Malaysia and Singapore

    Little India streets are lit up, and families cook pongal together in open spaces.

  • UK, Canada and Australia

    Tamil groups hold community Pongal days with kolam, music and shared food.

Pongal moments

Freshly painted clay pots for cooking pongal
A bull dressed for the harvest games, in an early 1900s photoSouthern India
A rainbow kolam drawn at the door for the festival

Pongal today

On Thai Pongal morning, families draw a kolam, set a new clay pot on a stove in the open, and cook rice with milk and jaggery facing the Sun. When the milk froths over, everyone calls out Pongalo Pongal. The sweet pongal is offered to the Sun and shared with neighbours.

The next day honours cattle, and the last day is for visiting family and outings. New clothes, sugarcane and turmeric plants are part of every home.

How people celebrate Pongal

  • Boiling sweet pongal in a new clay pot
  • Drawing kolam at the doorway
  • Tying sugarcane and turmeric plants
  • New clothes for the family
  • Thanking the Sun at sunrise
  • Decorating cattle on Mattu Pongal

How to wish well

  • Send wishes on the morning of Thai Pongal, ideally before the pot boils over.
  • "Pongal o Pongal" and "Iniya Pongal Nalvazhthukal" are the usual greetings.
  • For elders, a respectful wish in Tamil means a lot.
  • Mention the harvest, sweet pongal, sugarcane or kolam to make it personal.

Questions about Pongal

When is Pongal 2027?

Thai Pongal falls on the first day of the Tamil month Thai, when the Sun enters Makara. In 2027 that is on 15 January; see the date shown on this page.

What do you say on Pongal?

People say "Happy Pongal" in English and "Iniya Pongal Nalvazhthukal" (இனிய பொங்கல் நல்வாழ்த்துகள்) in Tamil. When the pot boils over, everyone calls "Pongalo Pongal".

How many days is Pongal?

Four days: Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal.

Why do people boil milk over on Pongal?

The word pongal means to boil over. Milk and rice overflowing from the pot is a sign of plenty in the year ahead.

Is Pongal the same as Makar Sankranti?

They fall on the same day. Pongal is the Tamil harvest festival; Makar Sankranti is the name used in many other parts of India.

What is Thai Pongal?

Thai Pongal is the main day of Pongal, the first day of the month of Thai, when families cook pongal and thank the Sun.

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