HAPPY PONGAL!
Pongal celebrations in DelhiNCR to be an intimate affair
Tamilians in the Capital are gearing up to celebrate the harvest festival at home with their loved ones
As most in north India prepare khichdi to usher Makar Sankranti feels today, those from the south, in the Capital, are geared up for the harvest festival of Pongal, which is also dedicated to the Sun God, and in some Tamilian households is celebrated till January 17. But amid the pandemic, the celebrations will be mostly among close family and friends only.
Keeping up with the tradition
“While we don’t celebrate the festival as elaborately as we did in Tamil Nadu, we do try to assimilate all important aspects on a smaller scale,” says Shivani S Raj, a Delhi University graduate, who will be celebrating Pongal with her family, adding, “We will offer prayers in our traditional attires and even cook a traditional meal.”
Faith and food
“The festival is named after Pongal, the dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with jaggery,” explains Geetha Ganesh, a Gurugrammer, adding, “After choosing an auspicious time, we will make sweet Pongal, and offer it to the Sun. Watching milk boil over symbolises prosperity.” Rekha Nair, a Gurugrambased home chef, shares she will be “preparing Charkara pongal, Venn pongal, Sambhar with nine vegetables, Vada and Thair Sadam (curd rice)”.
Celebrate, but with safety
For many, the festival will be an occasion to get together. In Delhi’s Inderpuri, the Tamil community plans to have a small gathering in the morning, and an evening of fun. “As opposed to last year, when we had a gathering of 500 people, this year we are expecting a small crowd. The arrangement is spread across a large area so there is proper distancing. We will put banners stating rules of distancing and also provide free masks to all visitors who wish to celebrate Pongal together,” says Karthik, one of the organisers of the event, adding, “Past few months have been hard on everyone; Pongal will prepare people for a better year!”