Pongal

One of the holiday symbolsOn this holiday, rice is prepared for the first harvest after a long and hard winter. The word "pongal" means "sweet rice dish", which is prepared in honor of the holiday. The festival is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. This is a very important holiday for all Hindus. According to mythology, on this day the gods come to earth after six months of a long night. The festival is one of the main festivals of South India.

The holiday lasts three days.
On the first day, called Bhogi Pongal, the celebration is confined to the family hearth.
The second day is called Surya Pongal in honor of the Sun God. On this day, the sun is served various dishes of rice. Women decorate the centers of the courtyards of their homes with beautiful patterns made of rice flour and red clay.
The third day is Mattu Pongal or Pongal cattle. Livestock are cleaned and washed, animal horns are polished, painted and decorated. She also expects a sweetened drink of rice - "pongal". Sometimes they play with bulls on this day. A bag of money is tied to the horn of the bull, and the boys try to remove it from the running bull.

Pongal is mainly associated with the villagers. They exchange congratulations with relatives and friends. Considering this holiday as the beginning of the harvest season, everyone hopes that it will bring luck, happiness and fun. Pongal is especially important for rural communities as a sign of the end of the harvest season.