Pongal Calendar

Harvest festival of Pongal falls falls in the month of January after the winter solstice. The date of the festival is derived from Solar Calendar hence it usually remains same. For Hindus the date of Pongal is extremely auspicious and astronomically significant. Around January 14, every year sun begins its six-months-long journey northwards or in Uttarayan and moves into the zodiac Capricorn or Makaram Rashi. This celestial event is celebrated as Pongal in South India.

Pongal Festival marks the end of cold winter months and the advent of spring. From this time the length of days gradually increases in the Northern Hemisphere. Celebration of Pongal lasts for four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (December-January) to the third day of Thai that is the month of January - February according to Western Calendar. It is the second and the main day of the festival that is celebrated as Pongal every year.

Pongal is celebrated when the fields are blooming. The festival is thus a celebration of prosperity and good harvest especially for the farming community. During the Pongal celebrations farmers express their gratitude to Sun God and the cattle and thank them for a good harvest.

The festival of Pongal is celebrated as Makar Sankranti in central India and Bhugali Bihu in Assam while people in West Bengal, celebrate the last day of Bengali month Paush on January 14. Here, thousands of devotees take bath in Gangasagar, the point where the holy river Ganga meets the sea, to wash away all the earthly sins.