Thai Pongal Festival in India-research paperThai Pongal is a harvest festival of Tamil Nadu; the main reason for the festival is to celebrate the return of the sun to the northern hemisphere. Thai Pongal is one of the most important and popular Hindu festivals of the year. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Thai Pongal is one of the most important festivals because most of India relies on agriculture to generate income. Thai Pongal is a bit like Thanksgiving in America in its importance. It is held in the month of Thai (January) during the season when rice and other types of grains, sugar cone and turmeric (an essential ingredient in Tamil cuisine) are harvested. The name Thai Pongal actually means "Boiling Over". The Thai Pongal festival usually falls on January 14 or 15 and is the quintessential Tamil festival. It is a traditional occasion to give thanks to all things in nature and to celebrate the cycles of life that would “give them the grain”. Most people in India believe that gnarled family problems will be resolved with the advent of the Tamil month, which is a traditional month for weeding. This is a harvest festival that lasts four days. The first day of the Thai Pongal harvest festival is celebrated as the Bhogi festival in honor of lord Indra, the supreme ruler of the clouds who gave them rain. On the first day they pay homage (respect) to Lord Indra for the abundance of the harvest which is said to bring prosperity to their land. Another ritual that takes place on this day is Bhogi Mantalu. Bhogi Mantalu is where people take useless household items and throw them into a fire made of wood and cow dung. As the girls dance around the bonfire, singing songs in praise of the gods, spring and the harvest. The importance of the bonfire is that the burned agricultural waste and firewood should keep everyone warm during the last period of winter. During the second day of Thai Pongal, puja, also known as a ceremonial act of worship, is performed when rice is cooked. boiled in milk outside in an earthen pot and then is offered to the Sun-God along with other things like two sugar cone sticks, a coconut and bananas. Everyone must wear traditional clothes and signs. But there is a special ritual in which the husband and wife get rid of the elegant ritual utensils used for the Puja. They tie a turmeric plant around the pot in which the rice will be boiled. A typical offering is the Kolam, the auspicious design that is traditionally drawn in the white lime powder around the house, in the morning after bathing. The third day of Thai Pongal is called Mattu Pongal (cow day). Multi-coloured beads, bells, corn and flower garlands are also tied around the neck of the cattle and then worshipped. The boys compete with each other and with their livestock. They say that at that moment the whole atmosphere becomes festive and full of fun and revelry. Arati (The Evil Eye) is performed on them. Apparently they tell this old legend at the festival “Once Shiva asked his bull Basava to go to earth and ask mortals to take an oil massage and bath every day and eat one ounce every month. The Basava announced that everyone should eat every day and take an oil bath one ounce per month. This mistake enraged Shiva and he then cursed Basava, banishing him to live on earth forever. It should plow the fields and help people produce more food.” This is the reason for the day with the livestock. The fourth day of Thai Pongal is called Kannum Pongal day. On the fourth day the leaf