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Makara Sankranthi Festival

D K Hari
D K Hema Hari

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Contents

CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................................................................................2
PREFACE .......................................................................................................................................................................................4
KUDARAIVALLI ...........................................................................................................................................................................6
HOW DID THIS FESTIVAL COME ABOUT? ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
THE 27TH VERSE .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
RELISH AKKARAADISIL, RELISH DEVOTION ............................................................................................................................................... 9
BHOGI.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
RINGING OUT THE OLD AND RINGING IN THE NEW...................................................................................................................................10
LOHRI ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................11
MARRIAGE OF ANDAL ...................................................................................................................................................................................11
CHAPPAN BHOG – ORISSA ...........................................................................................................................................................................12
BHOGALI BIHU-ASSAM .................................................................................................................................................................................12
MAKARA SANKRANTHI ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
EQUINOXES AND SOLSTICES ........................................................................................................................................................................13
UTTARAYANAM ...............................................................................................................................................................................................13
MAKARA – CROCODILE .................................................................................................................................................................................13
SOLSTICE .........................................................................................................................................................................................................16
NOW ................................................................................................................................................................................................................16
THEN ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................16
PRECESSION OF EQUINOX AND SOLSTICE ..................................................................................................................................................16
MAKARA JYOTI ........................................................................................................................................................................ 19
MAKARA..........................................................................................................................................................................................................19
JYOTHI .............................................................................................................................................................................................................19
SWAMY AYYAPPA – THE FIVE ELEMENTS .................................................................................................................................................20
GANGASAGAR MELA .............................................................................................................................................................. 21
BHAGIRATHA PRAYATHNA ..........................................................................................................................................................................22
AN OCCASION TO THANK BHAGIRATHA ....................................................................................................................................................23
A RIVER ENGINEERING MARVEL.................................................................................................................................................................23
PONGAL O PONGAL ................................................................................................................................................................ 26
2 TYPES OF PONGAL DISH ............................................................................................................................................................................27
KHICHEDI ........................................................................................................................................................................................................27
PEDDHA PANDUGA........................................................................................................................................................................................27
WHY IS IT CALLED THE BIG FESTIVAL? ......................................................................................................................................................28
MATTU PONGAL / KANNU PIDI ......................................................................................................................................... 29
ANIMAL FESTIVALS .......................................................................................................................................................................................29
WORSHIP OF ANIMALS .................................................................................................................................................................................29

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KANNU PIDI ....................................................................................................................................................................................................29

RECOGNIZING ANIMALS ...............................................................................................................................................................................30
KEEPING UP BOND WITH FAMILY ...............................................................................................................................................................30
BREAKING THE ICE ........................................................................................................................................................................................30
THIRUVALLUVAR DAY .......................................................................................................................................................... 32
THIRU VALLUVAR ..........................................................................................................................................................................................32
A TOWERING PERSONALITY ........................................................................................................................................................................32
IN INDIAN STAMPS AND COINS ....................................................................................................................................................................33
CONFERENCES AND COURSES IN HIS NAME ...............................................................................................................................................33
THIRUVALLUVAR CALENDAR.......................................................................................................................................................................33
THIRUKURRAL................................................................................................................................................................................................34
JALLIKATTU .............................................................................................................................................................................. 35
POUCH OF COINS ............................................................................................................................................................................................35
NOTABLE HUMP .............................................................................................................................................................................................35
YERU THAZHUVUTHAL..................................................................................................................................................................................35

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Preface
Makara Sankranthi is a festival season in India. It is celebrated with different names across India
and Asia.

Name of the Festival States

Magh Bihu Assam and North East

Makara Sankranthi Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Karnataka,

Maharashtra

Kudraivalli Tamil Nadu

Pongal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry

Lohri Punjab and Haryana

Sakraat & Makraat Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand

Uttarayan Gujarat, Daman & Diu

Suggi Karnataka

Magh Saaji Himachal Pradesh

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Ghughuti Kumaon

Makara Chaula Odisha

Kicheri Uttar Pradesh

Pousha Sankranthi Bengal and North East

Shishur Sankraat Kashmir

Makara Vilakku Kerala

Maaghe Sankrant Nepal

Tirmoori Sindh, Pakistan

Songkran Thailand

Pi Ms Lao Laos

Thingyan Myanmar

Mohan Songkran Cambodia

This ebook, goes into the significance of this festival with diverse names.

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Kudaraivalli

Kudaraivalli is another festival that is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, the Makara Sankranthi season. It is
celebrated a day before Bhogi. It falls on the 27th day of the Margashirsha month, regarded as best
among all the months, as Sri Krishna identifies Himself with this month in the Bhagavad Gita.

Gita Upadesha

It is at the conclusion of this month that we have the Kudaraivalli festival, which celebrates one of the
greatest devotees of Krishna – Andal.

Kudaraivalli commemorates the mergence of Andal with Sri Ranganatha, an aspect of Narayana.
Andal is one of the 12 Alwar, the poet saints of South India, who belonged to Sri Vaishnavism, and
were ardent devotees of Lord Narayana.

Sri Ramanuja Sri Andal

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How did this festival come about?

Andal had promised that she would offer 100 thada of sweet dish Akkaraadisil to Lord Sri
Ranganatha, Her beloved divinity, if He unites Her with Himself. Sri Ranganatha is an aspect of
Narayana, enshrined at Sri Rangam temple in Tamil Nadu, on the banks of Cauvery River. Sri
Ranganatha eventually accepted Sri Andal, as She became absorbed in Her Lord. Andal’s promise
however remained unfulfilled.

Sri Ranganatha

Sri Rangam Temple, Tamil Nadu

The festival Kudaraivalli was instituted by Ramanuja, the propounder of Vishitadvaita, on 27th day of
Margashirsha month, known as Margazhi in Tamil, to fulfil this promise of Andal.

100 thada of Akkaraadisil are offered to the divinity at Sri Rangam on this day. Kudaravalli means to
jointly pray to horse. The 27th day of the month was chosen as Andal had merged with her Lord on
this day, while singing the 27th verse of the 30 verses that she composed, in praise of Sri Ranganatha.
This 30 verse devotional work of Andal is known as Tiruppavai. Andal sang a verse of Thirupavai on
each day, in praise of Lord Ranganatha, in this month of Margazhi.

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Tiruppavai

The 27th verse

Koodarai vellum seer Govinda ! Undrannai

Paadi parai kondu yaam perum sammanam

Naadu pugazhum parisinaal nandraga

Soodagame tholvalaiye thode sevippoove

Padagame yendranaiya palkalanum yaam anivom

Aadai yuduppom adhan pinne paar soru

Mooda neiy peydhu muzhankai vazhivara

Koodiyirundhu kulirndhelor empavai

English Translation

Sri Andal has in the early verses described the rigors of the Nonbu as not decorating themselves and not
eating ghee and other delicacies to enable focus on the Lord. Now that She is in front of the Lord, she
addresses the Lord as one who wins over those who are not willing to join Him or vanquishes those who
are not following the righteous path and sings, we are singing your praise and seek from your hands
gifts that the nation will be enamored of. We seek from Your hands lovely garlands and ear rings and
many other ornaments ; then lovely garments. We will adorn ourselves when these are given by your

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hands or you adorn us yourselves. Our beautification is for you to see and enjoy. And after adorning
ourselves we will eat paal soru ie rice cooked in milk and ghee as your prasadam and the delicacy will
be so full of ghee that the ghee will flow down our elbow as we eat. And being in unison with you, in
your company, partaking of the gifts and the food that you give us, we remain together and happy and
blissful.

Relish Akkaraadisil, Relish Devotion

On this day, many households belonging to Vaishnavas, prepare Akkaraadisil. The uniqueness of this
delicacy is that it is boiled and cooked in milk, instead of water.

Akkaraadisil

In Tamil, “Akkaram” means “Sugarcane”, Adisil means rice. After the rains, it is the time for harvest.
Kudaraivalli falls around harvest season, when the other harvest festivals like Pongal are also
celebrated. Thus there is a rich bounty of sugarcane and rice available in this period. This makes
Akkaraadisil a very appropriate delicacy for this festival.

This sweet in a way, represents the sweetness of the devotion, bhakti of Andal and the Alwar. On this
day, apart from relishing the sweetness of Akkaraadisil, let us also relish the nectarine devotion of
Andal.

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Bhogi

Bhogi is a festival in South India, celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and
occurs on the same day as Lohri in North India.

The word “Bhogi” comes from Bhog, meaning “bountiful harvest”. India has had 3 harvests,
3 Bhog every year through the ages.

During the medieval times, the living conditions in Europe were very tough from many perspectives,
including the climatic conditions, due to which only one harvest was possible in a year.

On the other hand, in the local literature of this land, in different vernacular languages, the capability
of this land to yield three harvests or Bhog, is discussed frequently. Even to date, the term
“three Bhog”, continues to be the yardstick to measure the industrious nature of the agriculturist and
the yield of this land.

Fertile lands of India

Not only three harvests a year but the farmers also practiced multi-cropping which resulted in
bounties of food and other agricultural products such as cotton, indigo, spices.

Ringing out the old and ringing in the new

Prior to the Bhogi day, every household is cleaned of its cobwebs. All the unwanted stuff is taken out,
accumulated and burnt as Bonfire at sunrise on Bhogi morning, similar to the concept of spring
cleaning in England and Europe.

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This cleaning was significant for this Bhogi day for the next day of Makara Sankranthi marked a new
beginning with the sun entering the Makara zodiac and warmer days start from thereon. The days
also start getting longer in Northern Hemisphere, conducive to agriculture and other
activity. Bhogi represents ringing out the old and ringing in the new.

Bhogi Bonfire

Lohri
In North India, this day is observed as Lohri, which commemorates the passing of winter solstice. In
ancient India, this festival was celebrated before winter solstice. Today Lohri is observed at the
beginning of Uttarayana. The night of Lohri is believed to be the longest night of the year. Bonfire is
an important component of Lohri too.

Marriage of Andal
In Tamil Nadu, Bhogi is also celebrated as the marriage of Andal with Lord Ranganatha. Andal was a
poetess of Bhakti genre. Andal’s 30 days of prayers & divine poetry culminated on Bhogi and Her
wedding is celebrated with feast in every Vishnu temple of Tamil Nadu. Her poetry is
called Tiruppavai. Tiru means “holy, noble, good” and Pavai means “maiden, doll”.

Tiruppavai is a garland of poetry by a maiden of noble thoughts.

Andal

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Chappan Bhog – Orissa

The word Bhogi has resonance in Orissa too. In the Puri Jagannath temple, Lord Krishna, Balarama
and Subhadra are daily offered Chappan Bhog, i.e. 56 varieties of sweets and foods as offering. Here,
the word bhog implies the whole hearted offering for the enjoyment of the Lord. Bhog also means “to
enjoy to eat”.

Chappan Bhog

Bhogali Bihu-Assam
In Assam, the harvest festival is called Bhogali Bihu.

Bohali Bihu being celebrated in Assam

Bohali Bihu is celebrated in Assam on 14th or 15th of January.

We see that, Bhogi is a wholesome festival that covers the whole of this land of India.

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Makara Sankranthi

Equinoxes and Solstices

As the earth keeps going around the sun, there are certain points in the orbit, when due to the angle
of the earth’s tilt, the days and nights either become equal (equinoxes) or day is longest in the
Northern hemisphere (summer solstice) or night is longest in Northern hemisphere (winter solstice).

This occurs due to the tilt of the earth’s axis by 23.5 degree.

Seen from the earth, it gives us a perception that the sun is moving northwards and southwards every
6 months between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn which are latitudes at 23.5 degrees
north and south of the equator, respectively.

Uttarayanam
The perceived, northern movement of the sun from Tropic of Capricorn to Tropic of Cancer is called
Uttarayanam in India.

Uttar meaning North and Ayana, the journey. It is the day when Sun starts its Northward journey. We
celebrate this day as Makara Sankranthi.

Makara – Crocodile
Why is this day called Makara Sankranthi?

What is Makara?

What is Sankranthi?

12 Sankranthi
In the sky, we have 12 Rasis or Zodiac signs or constellations. Rasi means cluster. The Sun is in
one rasi for a month and transits through to the next rasi in the next month and so on. Like this the
sun covers all the 12 Rasis in a year. Thus there are 12 Sankranthi, which means change.

An inscription of Rajaraja Chola I refers to 34 festivals of which 12 are Samkaranti festivals celebrated
every month.

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Raja Raja Chola

Makara is the Capricorn zodiac.

As per the Indian calendar, the Sun moves into the Makara Rasi, Capricorn Zodiac on January 14th.
This movement of the Sun into the Makara Rasi, Zodiac, constellation is called as Makara Sankranti.
This event is part of the annual celestial calendar.

Makara – Tropic of Cancer

The Tropic of Capricorn is also called “Makara Rekha” as this is the lattitude when the Sun transits
into the Makara zodiac.

Makara – Crocodile like creature

Makara is also the name in Samskrt, for a wild sea creature that resembles a Crocodile.

If we look at the shape of our galaxy, the Milky Way, Akasha Ganga along with the Dark Rift, it does
seem like a crocodile with its mouth open.

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Representation of Dark Rift

Resembles a crocodile

As cycles of time go by, life forms and meaning of life also happen to evolve. These goings-on are
known as parinama, change, evolution and they continue to happen. New forms and meanings
happen to life, be it from the ocean to land or from sky to land, creating a spectrum of life.

Makara Sankranthi marks such a day of change, a change of season to come with a change of lifestyle,
a change in mindset and a change in spirit.

More on Dark Rift in our book – 2012- the Real Story.

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Solstice
“Sol” means sun and “Stice” means stationary. Sun seems stationary over the tropic of Capricorn for
a couple of days.

Now
The Winter Solstice, the starting day of Uttarayanam today occurs on 21st December. December 22nd
is start of Uttarayana Punya Kala Tithi.

Why do we then now celebrate Sankranthi on 14th January every year?

Then
In ancient days, the starting day of Uttarayanam, i.e. Winter Solstice fell on 13th January every year.

There is a text called Kaushitaki Brahmana, an accompanying text to the Veda, which has been
authored by Rishi Kahola Kaushitaki. This text also mentions that Sankranthi was celebrated around
this time.

Precession of Equinox and Solstice

How do we account for this gap?

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As the earth keeps revolving around the sun, its own axis of rotation, about which it spins, also
undergoes a slow spin like that of a rotating top. This movement is called Precession.

Precession of the Earth about its Axis

Due to this Precession movement, the dates on which the equinoxes and solstices occur, keep shifting
by one day every 72 years.

This cycle is called “Precession of Equinox and Solstice”.

Precession of Equinoxes and Solstices - A Depiction

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This accounts for the difference of 22 days. Thus, the Uttarayanam Punya Kala Tithi fell on 14th
January every year then.

Makara Sankranthi is still celebrated on the same day every year.

While the Uttaranyanam has preceded from January 14th to December 21st over the last 1500 years,
Makara Sankranthi of the Sun moving into constellation, Makara occurs on January 14th.

This festival of Makara Sankranthi is celebrated in diverse ways in every part of India. The celebration
of this festival, brings to our focus, our understanding of the annual turning of the Sun, of the changes
taking place in Nature and new hope of life.

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Makara Jyoti
Makara Jyothi is the star that is revered and worshipped by the pilgrims at Sabarimala on Makara
Sankranthi day. On this day, lakhs of devotees, bhaktha gather at Sabarimala to have a darshan of
Makara Jyothi.

Commonly people think of it as a star and it is celebrated in Sabarimala as Makara Vilakku.

This word Makara Jyothi has 2 words – Makara and Jyothi.

Makara
What is Makara?

In the sky, we have 12 Rasis or Zodiac signs or constellations. The Sun is in onerasi for a month and
transits through to the next rasi in the next month and so in. Like this the sun covers all the 12 Rasis in
a year. As per the Indian calendar, the Sun moves into the Makara Rasi on January 14th or 15th. This
movement of the Sun into the Makara Rasi is called as Makara Sankranti. This event is part of the
annual celestial calendar.

The sun is constantly moving between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn which is called
in the Indian context as Uttarayanam and Dakshinayanam. Makara Sankranti falls in the period when
the Sun, which is in the Tropic of Capricon in the Southern Hemisphere, has started moving
northwards towards us in India. Which means we start having longer days. We are starting to come
out of the cold season to warmth and it is this Change, new beginning of the seasonal cycle that we
celebrate.

Jyothi
The other word – Jyothi. What is the significance of the Jyothi with Ayyappa who is prayed to
as Makara Jyothi?

As we have seen here, when the sun is in Southern Hemisphere, we are in the darker period .In
darkness it is the Jyothi that lights us all up.

Ayyappa as the name suggests is the embodiment of 5 pre -mordial elements.They being – Akasa –
Space Vayu - Air, Agni – Fire , Apah - Water and Prithvi - Earth. That one visible to us
is Jyothi – Tejas (fire or light).

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In the long dark nights what stands out is Jyothi or light. It is but appropriate that, during these long
dark nights, when we celebrate a fresh breath of life, we celebrate it with light or Jyothi.

Swamy Ayyappa – the Five Elements

Ayyappa is also known as an embodiment of Dharma. Dharma is not just noble deed but means the
very characteristic of Nature itself. This celebration of Makara Sankranti every year, brings to our
focus, our understanding of the annual turning of the Sun, of the changes taking place in Nature and
new hope of life.

The very name Ayyappa in the South Indian languages, denotes the embodiment of 5, the 5
Primordial elements of which this Universe or Prapancha is made of.

Celebrating the festival of this Makara Sankranti in association with Ayyappa, brings to our attention
that we and everything in this Prapancham is made up of Panchabhuta – the Primordial 5 elements.

So when we say, Ayyappa Saranam, we pay obeisance to these 5 Primordial elements themselves. We
pay obeisance to Ayyappa, son of Shiva the cause for the manifestation of matter and Vishnu, the all-
pervading force which together keep this Universe conforming to the Dharma of the Universe and
Nature.

More on Swamy Ayyappa and Makara Jyoti in our ebook: Swamy Ayyappa – Sabarimala:

https://bharathgyanblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/swamy-ayyappa-sabarimala.pdf

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Gangasagar Mela
Gangasagar Mela is one of the popular festival, celebrated in West Bengal, on Makara Sankranthi Day,
to commemorate the meeting of River Ganga with the Ocean. It is celebrated in Sagar Island, at the
mouth of the Hoogly River, one of the two main tributaries of Ganga.

Hoogly River

The people gather on the banks in large numbers to have a sacred dip in the river.

Gangasagar Mela

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For many millennia, even though India gets her name from the Indus, i.e Sindhu River and Veda, the
oldest compendium of literature in the world were compiled by the river Sarasvati, it is Ganga that
has defined India. India is known as the land of the Ganga.

This mighty river is revered in our land as a Devi – Ganga Devi.

Ganga Devi

Coming down from the snowy heights of the Himalaya and flowing through the northern belt of India
to join the Bay of Bengal in the East, this perennial river has been revered as the holy mother “Ma
Ganga”, who washes away all sins, not only by the Indians but by many of the South East Asian
civilizations too.

Bhagiratha Prayathna
In the Purana, the legends of ancient India, we have the story of Bhagiratha, an ancient king of this
land belonging to the Surya Vamsa, Solar Dynasty. He was the illustrious forefather to Rama and
Dasaratha. Illustrious, because he diverted the waters of the Ganga by his extraordinary effort, to the
present day Gangetic plains.

This effort of Bhagiratha is celebrated in the legends as Bhagiratha Prayathna, the extraordinary or
superhuman effort of Bhagiratha in bringing the waters to his parched kingdom.

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Bhagiratha Prayatna

While narrated as an effort by Bhagiratha to cleanse the sins of his ancestors, once the river Ganga
was brought this side of the Himalaya and started flowing through the land, the waters gave
prosperity to the land through the ages. Thus Ganga, with its waters has been giving unending
prosperity to a civilization for generations and generations to come.

An Occasion to Thank Bhagiratha

It is an occasion to thank one of the early kings of the land, Bhagiratha and his forefathers for efforting
to bring the Ganga in its present course to fertilize and irrigate the land, and give sustenance to the
people of the land for many millennia.

A river Engineering Marvel

The river Ganga in our legends is said to have been brought down to the Earth by a very ancient king
by name Bhagiratha. The river Ganga as it flows through the Himalayan ranges is also called
Bhagirathi. Though Ganga is said to come from the heavens onto Siva’s head and from there on follow
Bhagiratha, Ganga is not said to be a Deivatanam of Shiva.

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More on Shiva as Gangadhara in our book and film, “Understanding Shiva”.

Also see our short film : Gangadhara :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-aW3GTGP-g&t=2s

Yatnam means effort, Prayatnam means extraordinary effort and Deivatanam means divine miracle.

While rivers flow naturally, this particular river Ganga has the legend Bhagiratha Prayathna tagged
to it.

Yatnam means effort, Prayatnam means extraordinary effort and Deivatanam means divine miracle.
The effort of bringing the Ganga is referred to as "Bhagiratha Prayathnam" and this legend of Ganga
is very popular all over India.

This indicates that Ganga is a manmade river as opposed to all other rivers being naturally flowing
rivers

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The festival Gangasagar is held on Sankrathi day to remember this river engineering marvel, by
Bhagiratha and his forefathers.

More on Ganga, in our Film and eBook– Ganga – A Manmade River.

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Pongal O Pongal
The word Pongal means to overflow. We make the dish Pongal with the newly harvested rice, mixed
with newly harvested dal gram. As the rice dish boils in the newly made pot on fire, in the open
foreground of a house or in a farm, in the direct view of the sun, it is the first offering to the Sun of
the new harvest.

Painting of how Pongal ThiruVizha was celebrated by ancient Tamil people during the
Sangam period many millennia ago.

This overflowing, boiling over of the froth of the dish is Pongal. Thus, the dish also came to be called
Pongal. As this dish is made on this festive day, the festive also came to be called Pongal.

When the pot of new rice boils and froths over, the family surround the boiling cooking pot and with
glee shout in chorus Pongal O Pongal. This is the high point of the festivities.

This denotes the abundance, the overflowing of the new crop and is first offered to the Divinity Sun,
and then to family, friends and labourers, both human and animal, who have toiled on the soil, to
grow this bountiful crop.

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People cooking in open as offering to Sun God during Pongal in Tamil Nadu

2 types of Pongal Dish

This Pongal dish is of 2 types

1. White Pongal, Venn Pongal which is garnished with pepper and salt
2. Sweet Pongal which is mixed with the newly made jiggery from the fresh harvested sugarcane
crop.

In both Pongal sufficient quantity of ghee with aroma is added. They are light fried with cashewnuts
and kissmiss, in ghee and garnished as toppings, to enhance the taste and the savour the bountiful
harvest.

Khichedi
In Uttar Pradesh, a dish that is similar to Pongal, is made there on Sankranthi day and shared with
all. The festival is also called Khichedi.

India being an agrarian society, this is a big festival for farmer.

Peddha Panduga
Pongal is also referred to as Peddha Panduga, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as it is a big festival,
Peddha meaning Big.

More on Pedda Panduga, meaning “Big Festival” in our book Telugu Talli.

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Why is it called the big festival?

The sun, in its annual transit between the two Tropics, during the month of December, starts
returning northwards after its southern journey. Due to this returning of the sun, the winter with the
shorter days and longer nights, gives way to warmer and longer days.

The days get brighter and brighter. During the months of July to September, there are rains when
agriculture takes place. The growing of paddy and other crops require 3-4 months to come to
harvesting stage. It is in the month of December that the harvest of paddy and other crops is done.
By the time it is Sankranthi, we have the bounty of harvest with us. The granaries are full, our hearts
are full and we have money to buy new clothes. This overall atmosphere of fullness adds to making
Pongal a ThiruVizha, Thiru meaning Noble and Vazha meaning festival.

In the case of Pongal, we are not just celebrating a festival of a religion. We are celebrating the joy of
being one with Nature. We have lost this understanding in our modern lives. It is time we see the
festivals in the true light with which they have been celebrated since a long time.

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Mattu Pongal / Kannu Pidi

Animal Festivals
Celebrating festivals with Nature is not only for the humans. The people not only realized but also
cherished the animals as part of nature. The domesticated animals had their own festivals every year
which was celebrated with gusto and gaiety.

Worship of Animals
Different parts of India had their own festivals in which they worshipped the animals and had animal
races. The cows, the oxen, the buffaloes are washed, painted, anointed with Turmeric, Kumkum, taken
round in processions in festivities.

In Tamil Nadu and Andhra, the cows and oxen festival is celebrated the day after Shankaranti, Pongal
as the festival of Mattu Pongal.

Pongal being a harvest festival, the cows and the oxen that help in the harvest are the key components
of Mattu Pongal. As part of the festival the oxen are washed, decorated and paraded with tilak on
their forehead. The oxen are also offered the fresh food in appreciation of their contribution to the
harvest.

Kannu Pidi
This festival Kannu Pidi also known as Mattu Pongal is specially celebrated in Tamil Nadu, one day
after Pongal. The varieties of rice dishes prepared from the newly harvested rice is taken by the
women of the house to their mother’s or brother’s house and made into ceremonial rice bowls. These

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are then fed in the courtyard to birds-the crows, house sparrows, squirrels and such other domestic
creatures.

Kannu Pidi

Recognizing Animals
This festival has twin perspectives. When you feed the birds and the squirrels, with the remnants of
your rice dishes after your major festival Pongal in a ceremonial way, then you recognize your
coexistence there with these birds and squirrels that live with you in the same living space.

We then tend to look at them as people who share the space and not as people who compete for the
same space. This brings in our heart a sense of live and let live. A sense of compassion for our fellow
creatures. If we do it one day of the year in a ceremonial way, then we tend to continue this practice
through the year.

Keeping up Bond with family

The Kannu Pidi festival has another important aspect packaged into it. The lady of the house takes
these house dishes and visits her mother’s house, maternal house, brother’s house to offer these
dishes to the birds. This act keeps up the bond of the married women with her parents and siblings.

Breaking the Ice

In villages and small towns, where families live in close proximity through the year, there could be
instances where frictions arise between families. These frictions could drift the families apart. On

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Kannu Pidi occasion, the married lady visits her estranged mother’s, brother’s house; then it is an
opportunity to break the ice and get back to a congenial relationship.

These two nice aspects of oneness with the creatures living in the house area and continuing the
relationship on the maternal side is built in beautifully in this one festival Kannu Pidi.

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Thiruvalluvar Day

Thiruvalluvar Day is observed a day after Pongal.

Thiruvalluvar is a Tamil poet well known for his work Thirukkural. He lived around 2000 years ago.
Thiruvalluvar day is observed every year on January 15, in the Thai month of Tamil Calendar, in
honour of this literary giant.

Thiru Valluvar
Thiruvalluvar is also called as Valluvar as he belonged to Valluvar jathi, the weaver class. The word
‘Thiru’ is honorific to the name Valluvar. He is respectfully referred to as Thiruvalluvar.

Thiruvalluvar as a Weaver

While it is not conclusive, Thiruvalluvar may have belonged to the Jain Religion.

A Towering Personality
As one of the towering personalities of this land, in the field of literature, his statues can be found all
across the Tamil land. His statue at Kanyakumari is one of the prominent symbols of Tamil Nadu.

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Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanyakumari

In Indian stamps and coins

He has also been featured on stamps, coins and Indian currency.

Thiruvalluvar featured in Indian Coin and Stamp

Conferences and Courses in his name

Much like the conferences and university courses for Shakespeare, there exists the same for
Thiruvalluvar, where the depth of his work and influence is researched and analyzed.

Thiruvalluvar Calendar
There is also a calendar in his name, the Thiruvalluvar Calendar which starts from his birthday. It is
recognized as one among the official calendars of Tamil Nadu government.

A honour that no poet or literary giant enjoys!

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Thirukurral
Thirukurral, a major work of Thiruvalluvar in Tamil has been a guiding light on human morals and
behavior to the people of this land for centuries.

A Palm leaf Manuscript of Thirukurral

Thiru means revered and Kural is a style of poetic writing. This revered work consists of 1330
couplets in 70 chapters and deal with many aspects of life, not just philosophy, but also about worldly
matters. It is available in 37 major languages of the world, including foreign languages like Arabic,
English, Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish among others. Probably, the most translated work
after Bible.

On this day, let us imbibe atleast a few morals that this great poet brings out in his couplets, in ‘just 2
lines’.

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Jallikattu

The word Jallikattu comes from the words Kattu, meaning, ‘tie, a pack of them’, and Jalli, which is a
varient of the word Salli. Salli means coins. the phrase Salli Kasu is still used in Tamil. For example-
“I won't give you a Salli Kasu. I won't give you a dime.”

Pouch of coins
The word Salli was used in the days of yore because a pouch, surukku pai, of gold and silver coins
were tied to the bull's horns. In the process of taming the bulls, the Veeran, brave men, tried to untie
the pouch of coins to pouch them.

Coins pouch on Bulls’s horn

This was done as they hanged on to the hump of the bull.

Notable hump
It is pertinent to note here that these bulls had a pronounced hump, typical to the native bulls.

Yeru thazhuvuthal
It is this understanding that will help us to know that the sport was aptly named Yeru Thazhuvuthal,
meaning ‘embracing the bull’.

This is how the festival has been described in Tamil Sangam literature.

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The bulls are kept ready in a circular enclosure. Through a narrow entrance, the bulls are let through
one after another, into the main enclosure, where the participating youth of valour, wait to tame the
raging bull as they come out.

Jallikattu in action

This spectacle has been enacted along with the pongal festivities, for the last few millennia.

In times of yore, the youth who could tame the bull and pouch the coins pouch, were also considered
as worthy grooms.

It was a native sport to showcase the masculinity of the locals and their bond with the bulls.

In the unfortunate event of the bull or youth, succumbing during the encounter, a royal funeral
awaited both the man and beast.

From the ancient to the medieval times, this was one the sport of Tamils that continued without a
break.

Unscrupulous practices
In modern days, the courts of the land, have thought it fit, to ban the sport as it is injurious to both,
youth and animal.

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This has happened partly due to the many unscrupulous practices that had crept in with time.

There is a significant difference between Spanish Matador sport and the native Jallikattu.

Jallikattu and Matador sport, a comparison

The above image sums it up in a way.

This is one more cultural part of the land that has been consigned to the history books in the march
to modernity.

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D K Hari and Hema Hari

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