No North-South divide on Pongal
Sai R Vaidyanathan
Mother Earth gives her bounty to everyone irrespective of religion, region or status. So why should the festival of her generosity be any different? With this in mind, Chandigarh Tamil Sangam will celebrate Pongal on January 21 at Bharathi Bhawan, Sector 30-B, Chandigarh.
While Pongal is celebrated by the Tamil people, the Sangam this time has transcended state boundaries and invited people hailing from seven other states — Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal.
“This year’s Pongal is special for the Chandigarh Tamil Sangam as we are celebrating its golden jubilee year. It was established way back in 1968,” said SP Rajasekaran, general secretary of the sangam.
Pongal in Tamil Nadu comes along with Makar Sankranti in other states. This year, it fell on January 14. It not only celebrates the harvest but also the transit of the sun into Uttarayan.
Asked why the Sangam is celebrating Pongal a week later, Rajasekaran said, “In every home, Pongal is celebrated. So we couldn’t have organised it at the community level on the same day. So we are holding it a week later. The delay also allows Tamilians from Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and Rajpura to join us.” The celebration at Bharathi Bhawan will begin on a traditional note with the women folk, along with their family members, cooking Pongal the traditional way — in a mud vessel on a firewood stove.
“The joyous shout of ‘Pongalo Pongal’ will reverberate when the dish boils over as Pongal in Tamil means to rise or boil over,” said Rajasekaran. “It is a festival of harvest. It is not linked to religion,” he explained. Kirron Kher, MP, will be the chief guest.
“The harvest festival — with mud pots, firewood stove and sugarcane, specially brought from Tamil Nadu, folk dances and music — will tell about the importance of the farmer and agriculture,” he added. “The local flavour will be brought alive to connect North and South India,” said Rajaekaran. An South Indian traditional lunch with 16 delicacies served on banana leaf will bring it to a close.
