KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 15, 2015 (Daily Express): The Tamil community is looking forward to ushering in a new dawn as it celebrates the Pongal harvest festival today (Wednesday). Pongal falls in the 10th month of the Tamil calendar called Thai and is a major celebration, especially for the farming community. Thai piranthal vazhi pirakkum is a popular Tamil adage which simply means that the advent of the month of Thai brings new opportunities. On this day, the Tamil community will prepare the Pongal (sweet rice) and offer thanksgiving prayers to Surya Bhagavan (the Sun God), the earth and the cow.
According to the Malaysia Hindu Sangam president, Datuk R.S. Mohan Shan, the festival starts on Jan 14 with Bhogi, a ceremonial bonfire ritual during which the people discard old and derelict household items and clean the house to usher in a transformation and the beginning of a new cycle. “On Pongal day, better known as Thai Pongal, rice is cooked with milk and brown sugar in a new pot at sunrise or an auspicious time, until the milk boils over, and special prayers are performed for the Sun God,” he said. Mohan explained that people let out cheers of Pongalo Pongal when the rice boils and overflows from the pot, signifying abundance and prosperity. “The day after Thai Pongal is Mattu Pongal which is dedicated to cows. On this day, cows are cleaned, decorated and garlanded,” said Mohan. On the third day of the Pongal celebration, known as Kanni Pongal, young ladies pray for a good life and a great husband.