Usually a private event in the family compound, sometimes entire communities boil rice and milk together.- Young girls sing and dance to honor the harvest
- Cows are bathed, garlanded and fed on this day
- It is a good sign if the froth from boiling rice and milk overflows to the East, auguring an abundant year in the fields.
Yes, today is Thai Pongal. Each year, during January/February, the Tamil month of Thai, millions gather to worship and honor Lord Murugan with fervor. In North America, He has temples in Arizona, Maryland, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and California.
HOW IS THAI PONGAL CELEBRATED?
Thai Pongal is a sacred observance of gratitude, discipline and alignment with cosmic order. It is very much a harvest festival The sadhana of this day is simplicity and reverence: rising before dawn, cleansing the home and body, restraining excess and turning the mind toward thankfulness. Cooking the Pongal becomes a meditative act, each movement an offering of humility and care. As the sun rises, devotees honor light, warmth and sustaining energy through prayer and silence. The focus is not celebration but consecration—acknowledging dependence on nature, time and divine law. By cultivating gratitude, restraint and mindful action, Thai Pongal renews harmony between human effort, natural cycles and spiritual awareness.
“HAPPY PONGAL”!.
May be a blessed Pongal for everyone, may all beings be free and happy. Jai Ganapati