Celebrated by Tamils across the world, Thai Pongal is a harvest festival looking towards prosperity by thanking the Sun God for a bountiful harvest. In Sri Lanka, rice is both a staple food and an inheritance in which deities figure prominently. Thus, the harvest festival of Pongal is one of the most significant occasions.

Pongal is celebrated in the month of January after the winter solstice. The date of Pongal usually remains the same as it is calculated according to the solar calendar which is considered to be more accurate than the lunar calendar. For Hindus, the date of Pongal is extremely auspicious as it marks the sun's entry into Makaram Rashi or the Tropic of Capricorn from the Tropic of Cancer. On this day, the sun begins its journey northwards (Uttarayan) for a period of six months as opposed to the southward (Dakshinayan) movement.

The festival of Pongal is celebrated over two days, the ‘Pongal Thirunal’ and ‘Maatu Pongal’

On the Pongal day, the womenfolk draw ‘Kolam’ in front of their homes with the caption 'Pongalo Pongal" (Hail Pongal). Pongal day is devoted to the boiling of milk in a pot to which rice, jaggery and the syrup extracted from crushed sugar cane and added. The moment of climax is the spill-over of the pongal during cooking. The spillover of milk is a propitious symbol of abundance. Sometimes, firecrackers are lit to signify the moment. This sweet rice pudding is offered first to the Sun God, and is then eaten at the end of a festive family meal.

The second day is dedicated to the cows which assist farmers in the rice fields and is therefore called Maatu Pongal (Cows Pongal) The animals are washed and decorated with flowers and saffron adorning their foreheads. Their horns are painted and they are well fed. Farmers pray for the good health of the cattle so that the animals can multiply and bring prosperity.

The Thai Pongal is also an occasion for family reunions and merriment. Although it started as a farmers festival, today it has become a national festival for all Tamils across the globe.

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