Wishes

[Guest guest]

Dear Sai Brothers & Sisters

 

Wishing you all a very Happy Sankranthi...

 

May Swami always be with us....

Regards,

 

Radhika

 

May Baba Bless You Always

[Guest guest]

PONGALThe festival of Pongal falls in the month of January after the winter

solistice and as such this Pongal festival marks the favourable course of the

Sun. It is a three-day festival and the fourth day is a day for outdoors and

excursions."May the pot of prosperity boil overMay the Pongal that we cook, the

fragrance of turmericthe taste of sugarcane, ginger and honeyBring the joy of

Pongal into our homesMay the blessings of the Sun God flood our lives.With many

other verses like this, the people of Tamil Nadu greet the great festival of

Pongal celebrated all over the South as Makara Sankranti. In Tamil Nadu it has

an additional significance as Pongal welcomes the occasion of the incoming

harvest. In North India, it is known as Sankaranthi.The first day is celebrated

as the BHOGI PONGAL and is usually meant for domestic activities and of being

together with the family members. This first day is celebrated in honour of

Lord Indra, the supreme ruler of clouds that give rains. Homage is paid to Lord

Indra for the abundance of harvest, thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to

the land.An interesting story is told that Indra, being worshipped by all on

this day, became proud and arrogant Lord Krishna to teach him a lesson asked

his shepherd friends to worship Mount Govardhan instead of Indra on Bhogi

Pongal day. Terribly enraged, Indra sent forth the seven clouds to bring forth

thunder, lightning and heavy rains to cause deluge to destroy the shepherds.

But Lord Krishna lifted up the Govardhan mountain under which the shepherds and

their cattle got full shelter. Then Indra begged Krishna's forgiveness and once

more Lord Krishna allowed Bhogi celebrations to continue in honour of Indra.

There is a beautiful carving at Mahabalipuram showing Krishna lifting

Govardhan.On this day before sunrise a huge bonfire is lit in front of the

houses and all the useless household things are thrown into the fire. The

burning of all that is old is symbolic of the starting of a fresh new year. The

bonfire is kept burning throughout the night while boys beat little drums known

by the name "Bhogi Kottus".On the Bhogi day, it is the occasion to take an oil

bath before sunrise for the girls and women and worship the family deities,

especially Sun. The family cleans up the whole house, getting rid of all the

useless things by throwing them into a bonfire that is lit before sunrise. This

symbolizes a new beginning by getting rid of the old. Boys beat their little

drums called Bhogi Kottus. The girls draw the most colorful Kolams( Rangoli)

and decorate them with dungballs called gobillu. Then they dance around the

kolam with intricate steps. In villages yellow pumpkin flowers are set out in

cow-dung balls in the middle of the designs. The harvest of rice, turmeric and

sugarcane is brought in and kept ready for the next day's festivities.The

second day of Pongal is known as SURYA PONGAL or THAI PONGAL and is dedicated

to the Sun God. On this day the granaries are full, sun shines brightly, trees

are in full bloom, bird-songs resound in the air and hearts overflow with

happiness that get translated into colourful and joyous celebrations. A plank

is placed on the ground and Kolam designs are drawn on its sides. In the centre

of the plank is drawn a large figure of the Sun God with his effulgent rays. The

"Puja" of the Sun God starts after the auspicious moment of the birth of the new

month THAI. Prayers are rendered to the Sun God to seek his benedictions.The

word `Pongal' literally has two connotations. Firstly it is the name of the

special dish cooked on this day and secondly the word "Ponga" means "boil". So

the word 'Pongal' means that which is overflowing. The preparation of this

special dish needs a new mud-pot called Pongapani on which artistic designs are

drawn. The village fair where these pots of different shapes and designs are

sold is truly an aesthetic treat for the eyes to behold as also the specially

set up colourful sugarcane market. While the `Puja' is being performed, the

neck of the Pongapani is tied with fresh turmeric and fresh ginger saplings

with tender green leaves. The green leaves are symbolic of prosperity, the

turmeric of auspiciousness, ginger for the spice of life. The special dish

called "Sarkkarai Pongal" is cooked in this mud-pot. After the rituals of puja

are over "Sarkkarai Pongal" with sticks of sugarcane is offered to the Sun god

as a thanksgiving for the plentiful harvest. Sugarcane that is offered is

symbolic for sweetness and happiness in life. It is said that on this day Lord

Sundareshwar in the Madurai temple performed a miracle and breathed life into a

stone elephant that could eat sugarcane. The carving of this event is in

Meenakshi temple. From this month of THAI starts the marriage season in Tamil

Nadu.The THIRD day is MATTU PONGAL which is the festival of cattle. To the

village people cow, the giver of milk and the bull which draws the plough in

the fields are very valuable and therefore the farmers honour their dumb

friends by celebrating it as a day of thanks-giving to them. The cattle are

washed, their horns are painted and covered with shining metal caps.

Multi-coloured beads, tinkling bells, sheafs of corn and flower garlands are

tied around their necks. They are fed with pongal and taken to the village

centres. The resounding of their bells attract the villagers as the young men

race each other's cattle. The entire atmosphere becomes festive and full of fun

and revelry. Big commotion is seen when the game "Manji Virattu" starts in which

groups of young men chase the running bulls.In some places "Jallikattu" is

arranged. It is a bull-fight in which money bags are tied to the horns of

ferocious bulls and unarmed young men are asked to wrest them from the bull's

horns. On the Mattu Pongal day Lord Ganesh and Goddess Parvati are worshipped

and Pongal is offered to them in the `puja'.This day is also known by the name

of Kaanum Pongal when coloured balls of cooked rice are placed in the open air

by girls for the birds and crows to eat. With each ball of rice that the sister

makes she prays for her brother's happiness and the brothers and sisters

wherever they may be remember each other. This festival is reminiscent of

Raksha Bandhan. In some places Kaanum Pongal is celebrated on the fourth day,

the day after Mattu Pongal.Community dinners are also held when rich and poor,

the landlord and the peasant, the old and the young, women and children all

dine together forgetting the distinction of caste or class. All share in the

spirit of fonhomic.In Kerala "Makara Vilakku" festival is celebrated on Makara

Sankranthi day at Sabarimala temple. It is the most important festival at

Sabarimala temple. It is a seven-day festival commencing on the day of Makara

Sankranthi, the day on which the sun is in summer solstice. It was on this

auspicious day, the idol of Dharma Sastha was enshrined in the temple. The

annual celebration of Makara Vilakku is commemorative of this sacred event.

Thousands and thousands of devotees go to Sabarimala during this time to

witness the peerless phenomenon, the appearance of 'Makarajyothi " a

spectacular scene which leaves an indelible impression in the hearts of the

devotees. On seeing this celestial splendor, in the midst of the spontaneous

cries of 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa' from millions of throats, one experiences a

rare feeling of ecstasy and a unique sense of accomplishment.Pongal is a

festival when God is praised with a simple faith and sincerity. Old vices are

all washed out and all that is good is welcomed in this New year. This festival

is of all living things, of man, his beast and his crop and of the birds that

fly in the sky making man look up to the heaven in joy and thankfulness to God

for everything that He gives to man specially peace and happiness and the

feeling of brotherhood.Wish you all a very happy Pongal.

-

Radhika

Sairam

Tuesday, January, 2004 9:26 AM

[saibabanews] Wishes

Dear Sai Brothers & Sisters

 

Wishing you all a very Happy Sankranthi...

 

May Swami always be with us....

Regards,

 

Radhika

 

May Baba Bless You AlwaysFor more

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