Friday, January 14, 2011

Thai Pongal / Pongal Pandigai

Pongal is a harvest festival - the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. It is held to honor the Sun, for a bountiful harvest. Families gather to rejoice and share their joy and their harvests with others. The Sun is offered a "Pongal" of rice and milk.

Bhogi/Bogi Pandigai

Bhogi/Bogi  festival is celebrated to rid the society of the bad and the evil. The first day, Bhogi, is celebrated on the last day of the month of Margazhi.

Scholars have often compared Bhogi to the Indra Vizha celebrated by the Chola kings at Kaveripattinam, also known as Poompuhar.

Indra Vizha was celebrated in honour of Lord Indra, also called Bhogi, the God of thunder and rain.