CELEBRATING BHOGI:
The great tamil festival "Pongal" starts with Bogi. Bogi Festival falls on the last day of Margazhi month of tamil calender. Traditionally Bhogi festival is for Lord Indiran, who has been worshiped as "God for rain". This is to thank Lord Indiran to give enough rain for the harvest.
THINGS DONE PRIOR TO BHOGI:
But generally, the prior to Bhogi every one clean up their houses, get rid of old unused items. In tamil it is called "Pazhayana Kazhithalum Pudhiyana Pugudhalum". In villages people collect all the old, unwanted items and they bornfire in centre of the village.
Also, people paint the houses, put kolams and color the kolams. People take oil bath and make poli, vadai, payasam for neyvethyam to god and in particular to Lord Indiran.
Happy Bogi and lets celebrate environment friendly bogi festival.
THE MENU FOR BHOGI PONGAL:
Along with the Festival Platter, Poli is prepare, Payasam (Rice Gheer), along with Vada (without onions).
SANKARANTHI OR PONGAL:
Sankaranthi or pongal festival - Farmers work for the whole year harvesting the paddy crops and using the freshly produced rice, farmers will prepare pongal on this auspicious day. On this festival day, the sun god(Suriyan) will turn from southern direction to northern direction.
In earlier days Pongal is prepared in a hand made pot which is decorated fully with turmeric, kumkum and sunnaambu. we need to tie turmeric plant with leaves and turmeric around the pot. Now-a-days we are preparing pongal in cooker and hence we need to decorate the pressure cooker accordingly. While we get the whistles, we need to tell "Pongalo Pongal" and pray to god :)
We need to prepare the sakkarai pongal, vadai, plain rice for neivedhyam and we need to do the neivedhyam only at the time when "Thai Masam" months begins.
THE MENU FOR PONGAL:
We use flat beans, pumpkin, sakaraivellikizhangu, senaikizhangu, raw banana types of vegetables on this occasion.
In a open place, where we get good sun rays, we need to clean the place and put kolam and inside the kolam we need to draw sun and moon symbols and we need to perform poojas for vinayakar and suriyan and we need to keep sugarcane, sakaraipongal, beetle leaves with seeds, banana and other dishes for neivedhyam and we need to pray to god for good prosperity in life.
Sarkarai (sweet) pongal (made in vengala panai), Venn Pongal, Medhu Vada, Sankaranthi kootu, pongakkuzhambu along with general pandigai menu. Prayers and Poojas are performed to Sun God.
IMPORTANCE OF KANU:
Kanu pandigai is the 3rd day of the pongal pandigai series. This falls on the mattu pongal day. This day is an important festival for the unity of brothers and sisters. Sisters pray for the welfare of their brothers. Gifts are exchanged as a mark of their unity.Cattle are decorated and jallikattu race is conducted in villages.
No open space around my place, so we kept it at home :).
The below one was taken when I was in India.
THINGS TO BE ARRANGED BEFORE:
Kolam on the frontyard
A piece of fresh turmeric
Left over sweet pongal
Left over curd rice
Left over kootu
A kolam on the terrace
Turmeric leaves
Tamboolam
Sugarcane bits
Arathi with turmeric powder and chunam
PRACTICES FOLLOWED ON KANU DAY:
In the early morning, fresh turmeric is marked on the forehead of ladies and unmarried girls, by the elders seeking their blessings for "sowmangalyam" and " to get a good husband" respectively.
Variety color rices are preapred. The turmeric leaves are arranged on a kolam on the terrace and "pidis" (small balls) made out of the leftover sarkarai pongal & curd rice of the previous day + kootu and bananas arranged on the leaves chanting
"KAAKKAA PIDI VECHAEN, KANU PIDI VECHAEN, KAAKKAIKKUM ELLAM KALYANAM, KAAKAA KOOTAM KALANJALUM, ENGA KOOTTAM KALAYAAMA IRUKKANUM
ANNA THAMBI ELLAM NALLA IRUKANUM''
(meaning everyone in the family should be united, mainly girls and ladies praying for their sibling brother to be united and happy)
and it is offered along with the Thamboolam and sugarcane to the crows and Sun God.
Finally, Coconut is broken, arati is performed for the pidis and we should pray for our brothers and this water is poured on the kolam in front of the house.
We have to make sure the rice kept in leaves should be eaten only by crow and not by any other animals. On this auspicious occasion brahmins will prepare variety rice and ladies should not eat rasam. Please find below some of the variety rices for Kanum Pongal.
MENU FOR KANU PANDIGAI:
RASAM IS NOT MADE ON THIS DAY.
Variety rice(i.e.) coconut rice, lemon rice, puliyodharai, curd rice, payasam are made along with poricha appalam or vadaam.
Recipes for Pongal:
GENERAL PANDIGAI MENU
POLI
SWEET PONGAL(SARKARAI PONGAL)
VENN PONGAL
SANKARANTHI KOOTU
PONGAKKUZHAMBHU
AVIYAL
COCONUT RICE
LEMON RICE
PULIKKACHAL
PULIYODHARAI
CURD RICE (BAHALA BHATH)
FRIED APPALAM OR VADAAM
General Pandidai menu (Festival Platter)
Sadham(rice), Nei(ghee), paruppu(dhal), mor kozhambu or Sambhar, paruppu usili, poriyal(Dry Curry), kootu, thayirpachadi, kosumari, vadaam or appalam, vadai or thayir vadai, Rasam, payasam(Rice gheer), thayir (curd), oorugaai(pickle).
The great tamil festival "Pongal" starts with Bogi. Bogi Festival falls on the last day of Margazhi month of tamil calender. Traditionally Bhogi festival is for Lord Indiran, who has been worshiped as "God for rain". This is to thank Lord Indiran to give enough rain for the harvest.
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| Picture coutesy: google |
THINGS DONE PRIOR TO BHOGI:
But generally, the prior to Bhogi every one clean up their houses, get rid of old unused items. In tamil it is called "Pazhayana Kazhithalum Pudhiyana Pugudhalum". In villages people collect all the old, unwanted items and they bornfire in centre of the village.
Also, people paint the houses, put kolams and color the kolams. People take oil bath and make poli, vadai, payasam for neyvethyam to god and in particular to Lord Indiran.
Happy Bogi and lets celebrate environment friendly bogi festival.
THE MENU FOR BHOGI PONGAL:
Along with the Festival Platter, Poli is prepare, Payasam (Rice Gheer), along with Vada (without onions).
SANKARANTHI OR PONGAL:
Sankaranthi or pongal festival - Farmers work for the whole year harvesting the paddy crops and using the freshly produced rice, farmers will prepare pongal on this auspicious day. On this festival day, the sun god(Suriyan) will turn from southern direction to northern direction.
In earlier days Pongal is prepared in a hand made pot which is decorated fully with turmeric, kumkum and sunnaambu. we need to tie turmeric plant with leaves and turmeric around the pot. Now-a-days we are preparing pongal in cooker and hence we need to decorate the pressure cooker accordingly. While we get the whistles, we need to tell "Pongalo Pongal" and pray to god :)
We need to prepare the sakkarai pongal, vadai, plain rice for neivedhyam and we need to do the neivedhyam only at the time when "Thai Masam" months begins.
THE MENU FOR PONGAL:
We use flat beans, pumpkin, sakaraivellikizhangu, senaikizhangu, raw banana types of vegetables on this occasion.
In a open place, where we get good sun rays, we need to clean the place and put kolam and inside the kolam we need to draw sun and moon symbols and we need to perform poojas for vinayakar and suriyan and we need to keep sugarcane, sakaraipongal, beetle leaves with seeds, banana and other dishes for neivedhyam and we need to pray to god for good prosperity in life.
Sarkarai (sweet) pongal (made in vengala panai), Venn Pongal, Medhu Vada, Sankaranthi kootu, pongakkuzhambu along with general pandigai menu. Prayers and Poojas are performed to Sun God.
IMPORTANCE OF KANU:
Kanu pandigai is the 3rd day of the pongal pandigai series. This falls on the mattu pongal day. This day is an important festival for the unity of brothers and sisters. Sisters pray for the welfare of their brothers. Gifts are exchanged as a mark of their unity.Cattle are decorated and jallikattu race is conducted in villages.
No open space around my place, so we kept it at home :).
The below one was taken when I was in India.
THINGS TO BE ARRANGED BEFORE:
Kolam on the frontyard
A piece of fresh turmeric
Left over sweet pongal
Left over curd rice
Left over kootu
A kolam on the terrace
Turmeric leaves
Tamboolam
Sugarcane bits
Arathi with turmeric powder and chunam
PRACTICES FOLLOWED ON KANU DAY:
In the early morning, fresh turmeric is marked on the forehead of ladies and unmarried girls, by the elders seeking their blessings for "sowmangalyam" and " to get a good husband" respectively.
Variety color rices are preapred. The turmeric leaves are arranged on a kolam on the terrace and "pidis" (small balls) made out of the leftover sarkarai pongal & curd rice of the previous day + kootu and bananas arranged on the leaves chanting
"KAAKKAA PIDI VECHAEN, KANU PIDI VECHAEN, KAAKKAIKKUM ELLAM KALYANAM, KAAKAA KOOTAM KALANJALUM, ENGA KOOTTAM KALAYAAMA IRUKKANUM
ANNA THAMBI ELLAM NALLA IRUKANUM''
(meaning everyone in the family should be united, mainly girls and ladies praying for their sibling brother to be united and happy)
and it is offered along with the Thamboolam and sugarcane to the crows and Sun God.
Finally, Coconut is broken, arati is performed for the pidis and we should pray for our brothers and this water is poured on the kolam in front of the house.
We have to make sure the rice kept in leaves should be eaten only by crow and not by any other animals. On this auspicious occasion brahmins will prepare variety rice and ladies should not eat rasam. Please find below some of the variety rices for Kanum Pongal.
MENU FOR KANU PANDIGAI:
RASAM IS NOT MADE ON THIS DAY.
Variety rice(i.e.) coconut rice, lemon rice, puliyodharai, curd rice, payasam are made along with poricha appalam or vadaam.
Recipes for Pongal:
GENERAL PANDIGAI MENU
POLI
SWEET PONGAL(SARKARAI PONGAL)
VENN PONGAL
SANKARANTHI KOOTU
PONGAKKUZHAMBHU
AVIYAL
COCONUT RICE
LEMON RICE
PULIKKACHAL
PULIYODHARAI
CURD RICE (BAHALA BHATH)
FRIED APPALAM OR VADAAM
General Pandidai menu (Festival Platter)
Sadham(rice), Nei(ghee), paruppu(dhal), mor kozhambu or Sambhar, paruppu usili, poriyal(Dry Curry), kootu, thayirpachadi, kosumari, vadaam or appalam, vadai or thayir vadai, Rasam, payasam(Rice gheer), thayir (curd), oorugaai(pickle).
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