Travel Tips

Shankranthi or Pongal as it is called in the South is the harvest festival of India.This is celebrated in the month of January.It is a thanks giving festival to the Sun God.
People in Tamil Nadu have about four days of celebrations --
*Bhogi-- signifying the end of old and evil and heralding the new.Old things and trash are set fire and usually old clothes are given away.
*Pongal-- The main festival when the Sweet Pongal is cooked with newly harvested rice,jaggary and ghee,poojas are done for the Sun God,sugarcane is eaten
*Mattu Pongal -- Festival of the cows and bulls!when they are bathed and decorated,their horns painted and poojas are offered to cows thanking them for their help.
*Kanum Pongal-- On this day,friends and relatives meet each other and exchange sweets and savouries.People also go out sight seeing or on Picnics.
In the photo you can see Ladies in my neighbourhood making Pongal in the traditonal way -- we used earthen pots and firewood stoves.The result was yummy you bet!

When the Pongal is bubbling from the pot and is done,we bang laddles on plates and shout Pongalo pongal!Children usually enjoy this ritual as they are licensed to shout and make noise!!

We made two varieties of Pongal -- the sweet version and the salty-spicy version.