Pongallo Pongal - a column

Vanakam sakothararkalae, sakotharikalae

Tamilnadu's most celebrated festival is pongal thats the story once upon a time. The festival is celebrated for 4-5 days minimum outbeating the western christmas celebrations. Well thats the story long long ago. This year it was paining for my ears to see that the holidays for such a historic festival is shrinked to 2. The state goverment should spare their ears a bit and give atleast the third day as a floating holiday. Don' mistake me guys i am not for more holidays but give the flexibility within holidays by means of floating holidays atleast.

The festival is nothing than a celebration of a farmer after winning in his efforts of 1 year. I still remember me enjoying the festival at my village. Afterall my grandfather is a full time farmer. Another good thing about this festival is that people worship Sun and the cloud (Nature) and not any idiols empathising that Nature is GOD.

I also heard that there is a ban on burning of old things on Bogi day in the name of Pollution. I accept that causes pollution but it gives a true message that old bad things and mentallity is burned and promises tommorow to be new and Rejuvenating. Do you think only boji makes the pollution in chennai touch your heart and say. The goverment buses, lorries and public vehicles are the main source of pollution and not the boji. Not only me every child enjoys the boji day starting by burning old things with the drums in the early morning. Those were the very few days i woke up early ;) . Lets not kill our own tradition rather others tradition by new born rules.

One more horrifying thing is the scene of the delta farmers who celebrated this pongal with pain in heart and tears in eyes. Lets not forget them they manufacture our day to day food, this time not only the monsoon as failed on them but the goverment too. I am not looking to criticise this particular goverment but in general our strength is farming and not to weaken that.

All together i would rate pongal is the best of all festivals in india though celebrated only by tamilnadu in the name of pongal, it has no religion in it, it has no harm in it, all it has and offers is the true smile of our farmers ofcourse once in a year.

But this pongal was the sad one for me too being apart from my family and lonely and not even a farmer in sight. This is the first time i miss a pongal from celebrating but all i can say is i would not like this history of mine to repeat ever again. I took quite a time unusually to put this accross to you guys so that to plead you all to do something to grow the farming in tamilnadu.

pongollo pongal
vanakam
gnana