First Day of Pingal – Mattu
In India, the four day-long harvest festival called Pongal is celebrated in January. It is a time of thanksgiving to the sun and nature.
The first day of Pongal is known as Bhogi. On this day, people discard their old belongings and celebrate new ones. In this article, we will discuss the most important topic : What Is The First Day of Pongal Known As ?
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Bhogi
Bhogi is the first day of pongal, a four-day harvest festival. It is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India, especially in Tamil Nadu.
The word pongal comes from the Tamil language, which means “to boil”. It is a traditional harvest festival in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and is also known as “Pedda Panduga.”
On this day, people clean their homes and dispose of all old items and clothing. This festival is a time to start fresh and invite new hopes and dreams into their lives.
As part of this celebration, a ritual is observed whereby agricultural waste and other unwanted objects are burned. This is thought to purify the air.
But the problem with this practice is that it releases a lot of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the air. This can cause a number of health problems, such as respiratory issues and allergies.
In order to prevent this from happening, people should avoid burning things such as plastic, polyethene, or any other kind of waste that can harm the environment.
Another way that people celebrate this day is by decorating their houses to signify a new beginning. They may paint or tie rangolis on the door, and make sweet delicacies.
These foods are believed to bring prosperity and good luck for the future. The foods are made from rice, sugarcane, coconuts, and bananas.
The food is then offered to the sun god on a pottery pot tied with turmeric plant. This is the first festival of pongal and it symbolizes the start of a new harvest season.
It is also considered a great opportunity for families to get together and share their blessings and good wishes. This is why Bhogi is often accompanied by visits to relatives and friends.
On the first day of pongal, people pray to the sun god, Surya, for a successful harvest season and to provide warmth and light during the winter. They also offer food to the god, and they decorate their homes with flowers and lights.
Surya
Surya is the Sun God and is the main deity in the Hindu religion. He is worshipped as the origin of life and is associated with prosperity, fertility and healing. He is also the god of light and is considered to be the supreme source of energy and light.
In India, the Sun enters the zodiac sign of Makara Sankranthi on January 14. The festival is celebrated for four days and has many different traditions.
On the first day of Pongal, Bhogi, people clean their homes and get rid of old items to symbolize a new beginning. They also prepare new clothes and decorate their houses.
Some traditions are more elaborate than others, but there is a common theme that runs through all of them. On this day, women decorate their homes with Kolam, a traditional design made of rice flour and red clay.
During this ceremony, it is important to be respectful of the environment. Some people leave their food out on banana leaves for birds to eat, which is considered good luck.
It is also customary for women to perform a ritual called “boiling of milk” to begin the celebration. The milk is then poured into a pot and offered to the deity.
After the milk is poured into the pot, it is accompanied by turmeric plant, sugarcane pieces and other food items. These are offered to the gods and then consumed as a part of the meal.
The second day of the festival, known as Perum, is dedicated to the Sun. This is the most sacred day of the festival and is observed by people throughout Tamil Nadu.
People celebrate this day by offering prayers to the sun. They pray for a bountiful harvest, and they hope to have good health and fortune in the coming year.
In addition to these religious activities, the festival is a time to celebrate family relationships and strengthen ties within the community. People may visit relatives or go on picnics, and they exchange gifts with each other.
The third day of the festival is Mattu Pongal, which celebrates cattle. Cattle are worshipped because they help give a good harvest. Shepherds pay homage to their cows and bulls, and they are also fed pongal. They are then adorned with shining metal caps and tinkling bells.
Mattu
The first day of pongal known as Mattu is dedicated to cows,’mattu’ in Tamil. This day is celebrated in southern states of India like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to thank the cattle for their contributions towards the agricultural community.
The Tamil people also observe this as a harvest festival, to honour the Sun and the farm animals who helped to produce a bumper crop during this season. It is observed in the month of January and is a four-day long celebration.
During this festival, people clean and dispose of old belongings, wear new clothes, decorate houses to indicate a new beginning. Moreover, elaborate rangolis are made to adorn the home entrance.
In Tamil Nadu, this is a time for families to get together and enjoy delicious dishes made from sweet rice. It is a way to celebrate the festive spirit and bring joy, happiness and prosperity to the family members.
On the morning of Mattu Pongal, women prepare a special dish called ‘Sakkarai Pongal’ from moong dal, cooked rice and dry fruits, which is first offered to Lord Ganesh and Goddess Parvati. It is then distributed among all as a ‘cattle prasad’.
This pongal festival is a very auspicious one as it marks the start of the northern declination of the Sun from its Zodiac sign of Sagittarius to Capricorn. It is believed that on this day the Sun starts a new cycle and becomes favorable for all auspicious occasions in the future.
To sanctify this occasion, people offer prayers to the deities and perform various kinds of rice offerings. This day is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy throughout Tamil Nadu and other southern Indian states.
In addition to these rituals, the people give their cattle a bath and decorate them with radiating metal caps, flower garlands, tinkling bells and multi-colored beads. They also sprinkle saffron water on their horns and offer prayer to the gods.
The cows are then worshipped by touching their forehead and feet with the hands. They are then decorated with a floral arrangement and fed with the ‘pongal’ that has been offered to them.
Kaanum
The first day of the four-day festival is Bhogi, which is celebrated in honor of Lord Indra. On this day, people discard their old belongings and clean their houses in the spirit of a fresh start. They also wear new clothes and decorate their homes with flowers.
The second day is Surya Pongal, which is dedicated to the Sun God. During this day, colourful decorative floor patterns called kolam are drawn at the entrance of one’s house and each household cooks a pot of rice with milk at auspicious times.
Families gorge on food prepared specifically for the occasion. They would also adorn themselves with traditional jewellery and clothing.
This day is also devoted to livestock, such as cows and bulls. The animals are dressed up and worshipped, and the farmers give them offerings of food and drinks.
During this day, friends and family meet together and exchange sweets. They also make rangoli outside their homes to attract prosperity and well-being.
In rural parts of Tamil Nadu, farmers pray to seven virgin goddesses called Saptha Kannimaar on this day. Unmarried girls, known as Kanumaar, celebrate this festival by playing in the river.
Women and young girls offer Sarkarai Pongal and other food items as sacrifices to the Sun God on this day, in addition to offering prayers for their future marriages. They believe that the Sun God brings good luck, wealth and prosperity to those who honour him on this day.
A number of festivals are celebrated in the month of January throughout India. However, the main harvest festival is the Pongal, which lasts for four days.
The fourth day of the festival is called Kaanum, which means “to visit.” During this day, families come together and spend time with their loved ones. They often go for picnics or visits to touristy places.
On this day, brothers and sisters pay homage to each other by offering gifts and praying for their health. They also thank each other for their support and affection. They exchange sweets and savouries, such as vadai and murrukku. They also make rangoli outside their houses and leave food out for birds to eat.