Mattu Pongal 2024, the third day of the four-day harvest festival of Pongal, is celebrated mainly in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The festival is observed in the month of Thai according to the Tamil solar calendar and usually starts on January 15 and ends on January 18. In 2024, Pongal will begin on January 15, also known as Makar Sankranti in North India, and end on January 18.
Contents
Mattu Pongal four-day festival is marked by several customs and rituals
- Bhogi Pongal: The first day of Pongal, where people clean their homes and discard unused items.
- Surya Pongal: The second day of Pongal, dedicated to the Sun God, where people express gratitude for the bountiful harvest.
- Mattu Pongal: The third day of Pongal, devoted to cow worship. Agricultural animals like cows and oxen are honored since they help farmers effectively raise and maintain crops.
- Kaanum Pongal: The fourth and last day of Pongal, where people prepare a special rice dish called Pongal Bhojanam with harvested grains[.
Mattu Pongal 2024: Celebrations and Rituals
The celebrations of Pongal 2024 will include various traditions and customs, such as
- Giving milk rice to the Sun deity.
- The famous bull-taming sport of Jallikattu.
- Farm animals are artistically decorated after being bathed, with their horns painted and garlanded.
The festival is celebrated over four days with Bhogi Pongal, Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal, observed on consecutive days.
