Pongal: The Festival Named After a Pot Boiling Over

In Tamil Nadu, a pot of milk and rice boiling over isn’t a kitchen accident. It’s the entire point of the festival.

Pongal

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9TH CENTURY CE

Earliest Textual Reference

Named in Manikkavacakar’s Tiruvempavai

1070-1122 CE

Chola King’s Inscription

Kulottunga I grants land for annual Pongal rites

18 MAY 2023

Supreme Court Upholds Jallikattu

Calls it part of Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage

2017

Virginia Recognises Pongal Day

First US state to officially mark 14 January

Named after its own mess: “Pongal” literally means “to boil over” – the dish, the festival, and the whole idea of abundance spilling past the rim of the pot.

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Timeline

• 9th century CE: Pongal appears by name in Manikkavacakar’s Shaiva text, the Tiruvempavai.
• 1070-1122 CE: Chola king Kulottunga I’s inscription at the Veeraraghava Swamy Temple records land grants for annual Pongal celebrations.
• 18 May 2023: The Supreme Court upholds Jallikattu’s legality, calling it part of Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage.
• Every 14-17 January: The modern four-day festival is celebrated across Tamil Nadu and the Tamil diaspora worldwide.

The Four Days Need to Know

• Bhogi (Day 1) opens the festival. Families discard old belongings and clean their homes, symbolising a fresh start.
• Thai Pongal, also called Surya Pongal (Day 2), is dedicated to the Sun God, thanking him for the harvest.
• On this day, families cook rice in milk and jaggery in a clay pot, in direct sunlight, letting it deliberately boil over.
• Mattu Pongal (Day 3) honours cattle, which are bathed, decorated, and worshipped for their role in farming.
• Kaanum Pongal (Day 4) closes the festival with family reunions, visits, and social outings.

A Festival Older Than It Looks Need to Know

• The word “Pongal” comes from the Tamil verb meaning “to boil over” – it names both the festival and its signature dish.
• The dish itself is freshly harvested rice, boiled with cow’s milk and jaggery, often with coconut, ghee, cardamom, and nuts added.
• Both sweet (Sakkarai Pongal) and savoury (Ven Pongal) versions exist, though the sweet one is central to the festival’s own rituals.
• Pongal is named by date in Manikkavacakar’s Tiruvempavai, a Shaiva devotional text from the 9th century CE.
• A Chola-era inscription, from King Kulottunga I’s reign (1070-1122 CE), records land grants specifically for annual Pongal celebrations – real evidence of the festival’s centuries-old institutional support.

Cattle, Bulls, and a Supreme Court Battle Good to Know

• On Mattu Pongal, cattle are treated as honoured guests, not just farm animals – bathed, garlanded, and fed specially.
• In some regions, the day includes Jallikattu, a traditional bull-taming sport where participants try to grab a charging bull’s hump.
• Animal rights groups long challenged Jallikattu’s legality, arguing it caused unnecessary cruelty to the bulls.
• On 18 May 2023, a five-judge Supreme Court Constitution Bench, led by Justice K.M. Joseph, upheld Tamil Nadu’s law permitting Jallikattu.
• The Court called Jallikattu “a part of the cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu,” while directing strict enforcement of existing safety rules.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. The word ‘Pongal’ comes from a Tamil verb meaning what?

To boil over

To give thanks

To gather together

To welcome the sun

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One Festival, Many Names Great to Know

• Pongal marks the end of the winter solstice and the start of Uttarayana, the sun’s six-month journey northward.
• Astronomically, this is the same event as Makar Sankranti, celebrated across India under different regional names on 14-15 January.
• Pongal also marks the start of the Tamil month Thai, considered the most auspicious time of the Tamil calendar for new beginnings.
• The Tamil diaspora celebrates Pongal well beyond India – in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, and the Gulf countries.
• In 2017, the US state of Virginia officially designated 14 January as Pongal Day, becoming the first US state to do so.

Current Affairs

• For Pongal 2026, the Tamil Nadu government announced a gift hamper worth Rs 3,000 in cash, plus rice, sugar, and sugarcane, for around 2.22 crore ration card holders. Distribution began on 9 January 2026, at an estimated state cost of Rs 6,936 crore. (Source: The News Minute)