PONGAL AND OTHER HARVEST FESTIVALS AND HOW THEY ARE CELEBRATED

India is regarded as the “Land of Festivals,” and it is a vibrant country where people celebrate with enthusiasm and delight. India is divided into 29 states, each of which celebrates harvest festivals at different periods throughout the year. The first crop yield is a joy for the people, and they rejoice as if it were a festival. The harvest festivals are as incredible and diverse as its people and landscapes. The dates of these harvest festivals differ in different parts of the country owing to diversity in climate. Let’s have a look at some of the harvest festivals of India:

1. Pongal:
2. Pongal, a four-day harvest festival celebrated in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, takes place from January 14 to 17 this year. Every year in mid-January, it symbolizes the start of Uttarayan, the sun’s voyage northward, and the conclusion of the winter season. Pongal falls at the same time as Makar Sankranti, Lohri, and Magh Bihu, which are all harvest festivals in India.
3. Bhogi Pongal, the first day of the festival, begins with the arrival of fresh rice, sugarcane, and turmeric harvests from the fields. As part of the Bhogi Mantalu rite, which also denotes fresh beginnings, old and worthless household items are dumped and burned with cow dung.
4. The Sun God is honoured on the second day of the festival, also known as Surya Pongal or Thai Pongal, which falls on the first day of the Tamil month Thai. Women get up early on this day to tidy their homes and adorn them with beautiful kolam patterns. On this day, freshly harvested rice, milk, and jaggery are cooked in pots until they overflow and spill. The event is named after the term Pongal, which means “to boil” or “to overflow.” This dessert is presented to the Sun God before being served to the family on banana leaves.
5. Mattu Pongal is the third day of Pongal, when Lord Ganesha and Parvati are worshipped and Pongal is served. The term mattu means bull, and bulls are washed, their horns painted, and their heads decorated with shiny metal caps on this day. Flower garlands and bells are also used to embellish them.
6. Kaanum Pongal, the fourth and last day of Pongal, is also regarded as an auspicious day for beginning new bonds and relationships.
7. History of Pongal:
8. Pongal celebrations are shown to date back to the Sangam period (200BC-200AD) and have been mentioned in puranas. According to one of the Pongal tales, Lord Shiva had a bull named Basava that he brought to Earth to deliver the word that mankind should have an oil massage and wash every day and eat once a month. Instead, Basava advised mankind to eat every day and take an oil bath once a month. Basava was brought to Earth by Lord Shiva to assist humanity by ploughing their fields and meeting their daily food requirements. Cattle became connected with Pongal as a result of this.
9. 2. Makar Sankranti
10. Makar Sankranti is India’s oldest and most colourful harvest festival, celebrated across the country. It is also the most well-known harvest celebration in North India, making it Uttar Pradesh’s most important harvest festival. According to Hindu mythology, this festival signifies the end of a bad period and the start of a good one. People celebrate the harvest of fresh crops with a bonfire, carnivals, music, dances, kite flying, and rallies, especially in villages in Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Punjab. The Kumbh Mela is one of the festival’s main attractions. The majority of pilgrims attend this festival and it lasts three months.
11. 3. Baisakhi
12. Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is a harvest festival in Punjab and Haryana where people praise God for a successful crop. It is via this Indian harvest celebration that the country’s farmers show their joy and enjoyment. People dress up in their brightest colours, sing happy melodies, and dance to the melodic sounds of Dhol. It is Punjab’s most popular harvest celebration. Baisakhi fairs are also held, when acrobatics, wrestling, algoza, and vanjli acts may be witnessed, making it one of India’s most exciting harvest celebrations.
13. 4. Ladakh Harvest Festival
14. The Ladakh Harvest Festival has grown in popularity and acclaim across the world. With the start of the harvest festival, Ladakh seems bright, lovely, and extremely stunning. As part of the festival, monasteries and stupas are adorned, and pilgrimages to the Thangka of Kyabje Gombo are obligatory. The festival also includes archery, as well as traditional social and cultural events, as well as art and handicrafts. Ladakh’s festivals draw visitors from all over the world because of their unique experiences.
15. 5. Lohri
16. Lohri is a well-known Punjabi harvest celebration that features traditional dance and music. To ward off the winter chills, the entire family and neighbours congregate around the campfire to sing together and present grains, corns, and nuts in honour of the sugarcane harvest. The Punjabi folklore Sunder Mundriye sung by everyone is one of the specialties of this harvest festival.
17. 6. Ugadi
18. For the people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Ugadi is a regional New Year’s festival. This harvest festival is seen to be a good time to launch new projects and initiatives. Locals take an oil bath, dress in traditional attire, adorn their homes with clay lamps and rangoli, and perform Ugadi puja at home on this day. The Ugadi delicacies like Ugadi Pachadi, Pulihoa, and Bobbatlu are prepared with raw mango, jaggery, neem, and tamarind are the main attractions during this festival
19. 7. Vishu
20. The Vishu festival is characterized by grand worship of Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna, extravagant family lunches, nighttime prayers, and fireworks. This is a fun harvest event that takes place on the first day of the Malayalee New Year. Vishukkani – varieties of traditional food to gift to Gods – is made using rice, golden lemon, golden cucumber, jackfruit, yellow konna flowers, and betel leaves by women of the home. Kani Kanal – the first holy sight of Vishnu and the Sadya – the grand mid-day meal spread are the most important aspects of this festival. It typically falls in the month of April.
21. 8. Bhogali Bihu
22. Every year in January, the whole state of Assam celebrates Bhogali Bihu with zeal and joy. Farmers in Assam appreciate and value their labours of farming and receive the rewards. Uruka, the communal feast, kicks off the festivities the night before. The mejis, or clay and hay pavilions, are burned on the day of Bihu. Local ladies perform group songs and dances while wearing exquisite mukhlas. Also known as Magh Bihu, this is one of India’s most unique and colourful harvest festivities.

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