Thai Pongal: The Tamil Harvest Thanksgiving
Thai Pongal, celebrated in January by Tamil communities, is a harvest festival that gives thanks to the sun for a good crop. It is especially vivid in the north and east, where Tamil culture is strongest.
The dish
The festival takes its name from pongal, a dish of freshly harvested rice cooked with milk and jaggery in a pot until it boils over, a symbol of abundance and good fortune.
The celebration
Homes are decorated with kolam patterns drawn on the ground, and families gather to cook, share food and honour the sun, cattle and the harvest.
Where to see it
Jaffna, the wider north and the east coast are the best places to witness Thai Pongal, when temples and homes come alive with colour and cooking.
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