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Saturday, January 5, 2019

Complete guide - BHOGI, PONGAL & KANU (Updated)

My first blog post for 2019 is an updated festival guide for Pongal festivities. I'm trying to adopt a new format for complete festival guide. Hope you like it!

(Recipe links are at end of this post)

Pongal festival is celebrated as part of 3 day harvest festival in Tamil Nadu. It marks the end of tamil month of Marghazi and the beginning of tamil month of Thai. The 3 day festival is for family unity. Families get together - pray, eat and enjoy the the festivities during pongal week starting with Bhogi  followed by Pongal concluding in Kanu (also known as Maatu Pongal - the Jallikattu day )

Farmers pray to Indra and Surya (sun god) for rain and bountiful yield.

Bhogi is celebrated on the last day of tamil month of Marghazi. Its the day where we get rid of the old and unwanted items (think spring cleaning) in the house. It also symbolizes that we shed the unwanted thoughts from our minds. 

Pongal (Thai Pongal) is also called Makara Sankaranthi, since it is celebrated on the first day of the tamil month Thai when the Sun enters the Makara Rasi. This period is referred to as Uttarayana Punyakalam (start of sun's 6 month journey northwards) and is considered auspicious. Lord Surya (The Sun God) is worshipped on the Pongal day.  So, our elders make a kootu with all vegetables and pray for family unity.

Kanu is the 3rd day of festivities during the pongal week. This falls on the Maattu pongal day. This day is an important festival for the unity of brothers and sisters. Sisters pray for the welfare of their brothers. Gifts are exchanged as a mark of their unity. Cattle are decorated and jallikattu race is conducted all over Tamil Nadu.

Neivedhyam at our home

When festivities begin?


Bhogi - Day before Pongal
Pongal - Jan 14 or Jan 15 (1st day of tamil month Thai)
Kanu/Maatu Pongal - Day after Pongal

Festival Guide 

Before Bhogi


Harvest turmeric 

Turmeric Plant from our backyard

Turmeric Root harvested from the plant
The houses are cleaned up , painted and kolams are drawn in the frontyard
Kolam from our home in coimbatore

Bhogi


Bholi / Poli is a must on the day of Bhogi along with General Pandigai Menu. In our house, Kadala Paruupu bonda is also made.

In Tamil Nadu, a simple ceremony - "Kaapu Kattu" is performed in all homes on Bhogi day. Neem leaves, mango leaves and Poolai Poo are tied together and kept along the walls around the house to eliminate evil forces.

Poolai Poo plant in my mom's home

Pongal


Things to be arranged before Pongal: 


KOLAM IN THE FRONTYARD

This Kolam was drawn by my friend, Radhika.

The "pongal panai" is to be decorated with "Tiruman, Srichoornam" and fresh turmeric harvested, a piece of sugarcane, flowers and plantain, tied to a rope.

Pongal Paanai (also known as Vengala Paanai)

Neivedhyam

Pongal Menu

We are not supposed to grind in traditional "ammi" and "kallural"(mortar and pestle), not asked for the reasons though.
Sarkarai (sweet) pongal(made in vengala panai), VennpongalSankaranthi Kootu, Pongal kuzhambu along with general pandigai menu.

Kanu


Things to arranged before Kanu
  • Kolam on the front yard
  • A piece of fresh turmeric
  • Prepare red rice and yellow rice with leftover rice, using turmeric and kumkum.
  • Left over sweet pongal 
  • Left over curd rice
  • A kolam on the terrace
  • Turmeric leaves
  • Tamboolam
  • Sugarcane bits
  • Arathi with turmeric powder and chunam


Practices followed on Kanu Day


In the early morning, fresh turmeric is marked on the forehead of ladies and unmarried girls, by the gents and elders seeking their blessings for "sowmangalyam" and "to get a good husband" respectively.

Red rice and yellow rice are prepared using turmeric and kumkum. The turmeric leaves are arranged on a kolam on the terrace and "pidis" (small balls) made out of the leftover sarkarai pongal and curd rice of the previous day + red rice and yellow rice are arranged on the leaves chanting 
"KAAKKAA PIDI VECHAEN, KANU PIDI VECHAEN, KAAKKAIKKUM KURUVIKKUM KALYANAM, KAAKAA KOOTAM KALANJALUM, ENGA KOOTTAM KALAYAAMA IRUKKANUM''
(Meaning: everyone in the family should be united) 

and it is offered along with the tamboolam and sugarcane to the crows and Sun God. Finally, arati is performed with turmeric water and limestone (praying for the wellness of brothers) and this water is poured on the kolam in front of the house.


Neivedhyam for Kanu pandigai:

RASAM IS NOT MADE ON THIS DAY.
Variety rice(i.e.) Coconut Rice, Lemon Rice, Puliyodharai, Curd rice, Payasam and Aviyal are made alongwith poricha appalam or Vadaam.

55 comments :

  1. Lovely post..Very informative.Loved the pics esp the kolams. My pongapaanai is also similar to yours.

    Advanced Pongal wishes to you and your family.

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  2. A Happy Sankranti pongal to u too.The pictures r nice and very informative post.

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  3. very informative...thanks for sharing...I love the paanai and the kolam is awesome...
    Reva

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  4. Very informative and beautiful post, missing it eventhough we guys celebrate pongal here, advanced pongal wishes to u and ur family..

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  5. excellent and informative post madam ...with beautiful pictures...advance Happy pongal wishes madam ...

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  6. wow... it s such an informative one.. love ur recipes too :)

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  7. Very useful and informative post..Love the way of explanation.Very nice pictures.Thanks Akka..Happy Pongal to you and your family!!

    http://ensamayalarangam.blogspot.com

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  8. thanks a lot... my mom told me over phone however I was not really able to connect. With these pictures I make out what my mom meant.
    :)

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  9. useful post and happy pongal to you aunty..

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  10. A very informative post! Beautiful pics!

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  11. A very lovely and informative post. Thank U very much. Love the Kolams very much.

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  12. Dear Sahnti
    How are you ? and Happy New year! I learnt the details about the festival as celebrated at your end. Thank you so much for the post.
    In Bengal also it is a great celebration..In fact my wife has started preparation for the festival. I am busy grating coconut and (some times a grate my palm too.)
    I am going to make the sweet Pongol from your recipe to celebrate.
    Happy Pongol!

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  13. Thanks for sharing!!....I love to know more about Indian traditions!!......Abrazotes, Marcela

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  14. I really do have tears in my eyes! I miss my mommy and home! I miss pongal at home!

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  15. lovely post..v informative......lov ur recipe too!

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  16. Awesome :)
    Complete guide it is - exhaustive compilation !
    Great effort and I am so glad that I follow your blog !

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  17. Some of the people use plain white rice instead of curd rice for pidi. Is it ok?

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  18. Very useful and informative post..Loved the big rangoli and pongalpot.

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  19. Superb post :) handy and lovely. I love the kolam a lot :)

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  20. Very informative and nice explaination.

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  21. Very informative post Aunty,brings back memories.

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  22. Thank you very much for such an elaborate guide! It is very useful for people like me who are away from home and have a lot of little doubts about so many things...

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  23. Lovely post shanthiji, I was writing a similar posts remembering things I used to do back in India hoping to post soon :), of course definitely not with all those photos!, No Kolam, no vangala panai, no turmeric leaves :((, Seeing all these I feel running back to bangalore! want to celebrate Kanu festival in Amma's house!, But you have done a good job dear, Beautiful clicks.., A very Happy New year and Happy Pongal wishes to you and your family.

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  24. what a nice and informative post! nicely compiled.

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  25. Wonderful presentation Shanthi...love d beautiful clicks ...!
    Tasty appetite

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  26. Mami chanceless!! Very very useful post!!!

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  27. I love reading your blog and learning about Indian culture and celebrations. Thanks so much for such wonderful and informative posts. Happy sankranti pongal!

    Anna's Table
    http://annastable.blogspot.com

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  28. Maami - wonderful post. Naan appadiye India vandhu kondadina madhiri irukku. You don't know how much seeing these pictures mean to us people sitting here and missing all the authentic action!

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  29. This is such a awesome post..love love love it a lot..beautiful kolam. WIsh u and ur family HAppy pongal !!!by the way all the pictures are so divine.

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  30. A wonderful post and quite interesting and informative.This is the time when all over India people celebrate this festival in different ways.For instance on Makar sankranti in Bengal, Bengalis get down to making sweets with rice flour.

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  31. feeling nostalgic .....very happy Pongal,,,, simply ethnic :)

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  32. Happy pongal...wonderful post to read on pongal...

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  33. Such an exhaustive and lovingly put together post,wow.You are a genius.

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  34. Thank you very much for this resourceful post. All my sisters are in India and I do not get to celebrate Kanu pandigai with them. I kept on forgetting the second phrase of the song. Your post made me remember it. Happy Pongal to you and your family.

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  35. போட்டோ & போஸ்ட் டாப் டக்கர்! à®®ாà®®ி, à®®ுà®´ு போஸ்டையுà®®் நிதானமா படிச்சேன்..:) சாந்தி à®®ாà®®ி போட்டோல எங்க இருக்கானு தான் தக்குடுவால கண்டு பிடிக்க à®®ுடியலை..:(

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  36. Such an informative post.. very nice.. and those kolams look so awesome.. nice song for unity.. i havent seen or heard anything like this till today.. such practices are soon disappearing.. very sad.. Awesome..

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  37. Wonderful presentation Shanthi. I just happened to be here searching "Bhogi". It is predominantly a festival of Telugu people.
    Thanks.

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  38. SRIPRIYAAYYANGARFriday, January 13, 2012

    HI SHANTHI MADAM
    PONNU KALYANAM PANNINDU PONA KOODAVE ORU LAPTOPUM UNGA BLOGUM SUGGEST PANLAM.AZHAGA NAMMA SAMPRADHAYATHODA PAZHAKKANGALODA PHOTO POTTU THALIGAIYUM POTRUKKEL.VERY INFORMATIVE.THANX.HAPPY PONGAL TO U TOO MADAM.

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  39. Dear Shanthi,
    Happy New Year!
    Happy Makara Sankranthi/Pongal!
    A Wonderful and informative post!Enjoyed reading the minute details.
    Hearty Congrats,Shanthi!
    I have published a post on Makar Sankranthi today!
    May God Bless You!
    Sasneham,
    Anu

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  40. Hi I got my periods still my mil and mother said kannu pidi alone...is it true anyone have kept during their menses...

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  41. Very informative post... Actually I don't even know most of the things you have mentioned in your post.. I'm bookmarking it for next year.. Thanks for sharing..

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  42. Thanks Shanthiji for writing such an informative post. Belated Pongal wishes to you and your family.


    FOODELICIOUS

    JANUARY EVENT, ‘ONLY’- SPROUTS & GIVEAWAY

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  43. Lovely, lovely, photographs Shantiji! makes me want to be home for these festivities :)

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  44. Perfect Indian recipes guide, thanks for sharing. Best platform for learners :-)

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  45. Useful info. Fortunate me I found your web site by chance,
    and I'm surprised why this twist of fate did not took place
    in advance! I bookmarked it.

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  46. Thanks a lot. Was just looking for information to celebrate this festival as Time Goes By we just don't know what to pass onto the Next Generation thanks for your post

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  47. Nice blog! Pongal is a thanks-giving festival celebrated throughout Southern India. To boost your pongal celebration 2022, here are the top pongal party games.

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