Pongal

╭╮╱╭╮╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱ ╱╱╱╱╱╱
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╭━━━╮╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╭╮ ┃╭━╮┃╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱┃┃ ┃╰━╯┣━━┳━╮╭━━┳━━┫┃ ┃╭━━┫╭╮┃╭╮┫╭╮┃╭╮┃┃ ┃┃╱╱┃╰╯┃┃┃┃╰╯┃╭╮┃╰╮ ╰╯╱╱╰━━┻╯╰┻━╮┣╯╰┻━╯ ╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╭━╯┃ ╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╱╰━━╯╱╱╱

Pongal, the harvest festival of the southern part of India. Each harvest festival has a story to tell throughout India, the efforts behind the matter do not go unnoticed. Here you have tributes paid to the sun god, thanking him for the climate’s brilliance with the sweet dish made from the rice boiled in jaggery and milk.

However, what cannot be dismissed behind the celebration of Pongal is the idea that sustains it. To think about a community of people coming together for the sake and growth of a fresh harvest is not the only issue here. The ties within the community that add to the spirit and essence of Pongal also is a matter of importance. The soil, the sun, the rains, and the plow are all the essential elements that make Pongal spiritually what it is, as it gets spread over three consecutive days. Pongal is not just about festivity and celebration of harvest but that of belief and culture too.

The perspective of such festivals in India shows the strength of the country’s association with religion, culture, and humanity above everything. The fact that one can distinguish them from their nature and character does not give ground for multiple meanings or deep divisions. As long as humanity and humanism survive, Pongal will continue to speak widely through its celebration of the message of togetherness and unity.

Celebrate Pongal 😃