Celebrating Pongal The Tamil Way

Are you the quintessential festival-lover who reveled in Navarathri, partied through Diwali and made much merry in Christmas? Well then, it’s time to brace yourself for Pongal. Haven’t made travel plans to celebrate Pongal yet? Let’s get started!

Pongal in Theni

Pongal (Lohri or Makar Sankranthi in North India) is the most popular and celebrated festival in the South. Though the 4-day thanksgiving-for-harvest festival is celebrated with much pomp and gaiety all over the region, its real charm is best experienced in Theni, a Pongal hotspot in the Tamil Nadu countryside and one of the best places in India to celebrate Pongal.

Getting There

Also called the ‘second Manchester of South India’ after its cotton plantations, Theni is nestled in the lap of the Western Ghats, on the banks of River Theni, 18 kilomteres southwest of Periyakulam and 76 kilometres west of Madurai.

Make Kollams

During the Pongal festival, Theni transforms into a magical world of alluring colours, blissful sounds and captivating smells. On the first day of the festival that is, Bhogi Pongal day, the town folk get together to make special offerings to the rain God, Indra, to thank him for the bountiful harvest.

You can be part of the festivities by helping young women as they decorate their front yards with Kollams, the elegant floral designs made from rice flour, colors and yellow pumpkin flowers or join young boys as they play Bhogi Kuttus, special drums made of buffalo hides.

Fight a Bull

On Surya Pongal, the second and the most important day, you can help the people of Theni in filling their granaries and preparing Sarkkarai Pongal, a sweet dish made from rice, milk and sugar in a decorated mud-pot called Pongapani.

On Mattu Pongal, the third day, you will be fascinated to see how the cows and bullocks are bathed and decorated with tinkling bells and colour. This gesture is meant to thank and celebrate the contributions of the cattle in yielding a successful harvest.

There are two major highlights at Theni on this day. One is the exciting cattle race, Manji Virattu, in which young men chase a group of cattle and the other is the adrenalin-pumping bull fight called Jallikattu where young men fight a ferocious and angered bull as it runs through the town lanes in an attempt to grab a bag of money tied to its neck.

Enjoy a Picnic

Kaanum Pongal (fourth day) is all about spending time outside home and visiting relatives and friends. So, you can sign off on all the heady fun and excitement experienced over the past three days with a relaxing picnic with family and friends to nearby places that include:

• Magnificent temples steeped in history and legends like the 2,000 year old Balasubramanya Temple; Sri Saneeswaran Temple, Sri Kailasanathar Cave Temple among others.
• Breathtaking waterfalls like Tiger Falls, Suruli Falls and Cloud Land Falls (Chinna Suruli).
• Beckoning hill tops like Meghamalai, Bodinayakkanur and Bodi Medu.
• Enthralling dams and reservoirs like Sothupparai Dam, Vaigai Dam and Manalar Dam.
• Lush green forests of Velli Malai and estates like the Highways Estate, Ananda Plantation and Ponsiva Plantation.
• Hotels and Accomodation
• Theni can accommodate you with several luxury and budget hotels to suit your needs.

With its delightful confluence of religious festivities and picturesque places to visit, Theni is a boon to any religious, festival-loving traveler. Plan the authentic Pongal experience and book your tickets to Theni now.