Sunday, January 13, 2008

RAJA ALANKARAM JAN 12 2008

6 comments:

ravinder said...

Pongal Festival A majority of the population of India depends on agriculture. As a result, most of the festivals are also related to the agricultural activities of the people. These festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in almost all the states of India. Pongal is an important festival of Tamil Nadu, which is celebrated to mark the withdrawal of the Southeast monsoons as well as the reaping of the harvest. It falls in the month Thai and is strictly a rural festival.


About The Festival The festival is celebrated for four days and the celebrations on the first day of the Tamil month Thai and continues for the three days. The month of Thai is supposed to be very auspicious for every kind of activity. The Sun is worshipped for his rays are responsible for the life on earth.

It is the biggest harvest festival, spread over four days. 'Bhogi' is celebrated on January 13, 'Pongal' on January 14, 'Mattu Pongal' on January 15, and 'Thiruvalluvar Day' on January 16. Thiruvalluvar has done a great contribution to Tamil literature with 'Thirukkural'. There are 1,330 verses in this work and they talk about all aspects of life.

In fact, the name of the festival is derived from Pongal, a rice pudding made from freshly harvested rice, milk and jaggery. The first day, "Bhogi Pongal", is a day for the family. "Surya Pongal", the second day, is dedicated to the worship of Surya, the Sun God. The third day of Pongal, "Mattu Pongal", is for the worship of the cattle.

Cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colours, and garlands of flowers placed around their necks. Pongal is associated with cleaning and burning of rubbish, symbolizing the destruction of evil.

All the four days of Pongal have there own individual significance. On the first day, delicious preparations are made and homes are washed and decorated. Doorways are painted with vermilion and sandalwood paste with colourful garlands of leaves and flowers decorating the outside of almost every home. On this day 'Bhogi' or the Rain God is worshipped.


The Legend Behind The Celebrations
There are few interesting legends behind the Pongal celebrations. The most popular among them related to the celebrations of the first day of the Pongal festival goes like this - Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger to shelter his people and save them from being washed away by the rains and floods.

According to another the third day of Pongal is celebrated because Lord Shiva once asked Nandi, his bull, to go to earth and deliver his message to the people - to have an oil bath every day and food once a month. But Nandi got it all mixed up when he delivered the message, and told the people that Shiva asked them to have an oil bath once a month and eat every day. Shiva was displeased, and told Nandi that since the people would now need to grow more grain, Nandi would have to remain on earth and help them plough the fields.

Mattu Pongal is also called "Kanu Pongal", and women pray for the welfare of their brothers. This is similar to the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj celebrated in some states of North India.

The Tempting Recipes
Sweet rice, known as "Pongal", is cooked in a new earthenware pot at the same place where puja is to be performed. Fresh turmeric and ginger are tied around this pot. Then a delicious concoction of rice, Moong Dal, jaggery and milk are boiled in the pot on an open fire. This Pongal, according to ritual, is allowed to boil and spill out of the pot. Pongal, once ready, is offered to God first, on a new banana leaf along with other traditional delicacies like Vadas, Payasam, etc. Besides this, sugarcane, grain, sweet potatoes, etc are also offered to the Sun God.

Rituals Followed
A typical traditional Pongal celebration has a number of rituals attached to it. The place where the Pongal Puja is to be conducted is cleaned and smeared with dung, a day prior to the festival. People generally choose an open courtyard for this purpose.

'Kolams' (Rangoli) generally drawn with rice flour are special to the occasion. The idea behind using rice flour is that the insects would feed on it and bless the household. At the centre of it a lump of cow dung holds a five-petal pumpkin flower, which is regarded as a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity. In a similar way the houses are also cleaned, painted and decorated. Kolams (Rangoli) are made in the front yards of the houses and new clothes for the whole family are bought to mark the festivities. Even the cattle are gaily caparisoned with beads, bells and flowers-their horns painted and capped with gleaming metals

Anonymous said...

Pongal Festival
India is bestowed with the bliss of festivity. A major segment of the population here depends on agriculture. As a result, most of the festivals are also related to the agricultural activities of the people. These festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in almost all the parts of India. Pongal is one of such highly revered festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu to mark the harvesting of crops by farmers. Held in the middle of January, it is the time when the people get ready to thank God, Earth and their Cattle for the wonderful harvest and celebrate the occasion with joyous festivities and rituals.

The four-day Harvest festival is celebrated all over the state in January. The festival begins on the last day of the Tamil month with Bhogi Pongal followed by Surya

Pongal on the next day. It is on this day that Chakkara Pongal, a delicacy of harvest rice cooked with jaggery, ghee and cashew nuts is offered to the Sun God. The third day, Mattu Pongal is dedicated to the Cattle when cows are bathed and adomed with colorful beads and flowers. Jallikattu, the bullfight is held on the last day known as Kannum Pongal.

First day !


The first day of the festival is called Bhogi. On Bhogi all people clean out their homes from all corners, and collect all unwanted goods. In the evening, people will light bonfires and burn what can be burnt.

Second day !

The second day of the festival, Surya Pongal, is the day on which the celebrations actually begins, is the first day of the Tamil month Thai. On this day, Surya, the sun God is worshipped and women will wake early on this day to create elaborate kolum on the grounds in front of their doorway or home. Kolums are created with colored rice flour placed on the ground carefully by using one's hand.

Third day !

The third day is called Maatu Pongal, maatu meaning cattle. This day is devoted to paying homage to cattle. Cows and Bulls are decorated with paint and bells and people pray to them.

Fourth day !

The fourth day is termed as Kaanum Pongal. On this day, people travel to see other family members.

ravinder said...

What is Pongal?


Pongal is the only festival of Hindu that follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on the fourteenth of January every year. Pongal has astronomical significance: it marks the beginning of Uttarayana, the Sun's movement northward for a six month period. In Hinduism, Uttarayana is considered auspicious, as opposed to Dakshinaayana, or the southern movement of the sun. All important events are scheduled during this period. Makara Sankranthi refers to the event of the Sun entering the zodiac sign of Makara or Capricorn.

In Hindu temples bells, drums, clarinets and conch shells herald the joyous occasion of Pongal. To symbolize a bountiful harvest, rice is cooked in new pots until they boil over. Some of the rituals performed in the temple include the preparation of rice, the chanting of prayers and the offering of vegetables, sugar cane and spices to the gods. Devotees then consume the offerings to exonerate themselves of past sins.

Pongal signals the end of the traditional farming season, giving farmers a break from their monotonous routine. Farmers also perform puja to some crops, signaling the end of the traditional farming season. It also sets the pace for a series of festivals to follow in a calendar year. In fact, four festivals are celebrated in Tamil Nadu for four consecutive days in that week. 'Bogi' is celebrated on January 13, 'Pongal' on Jan 14, 'Maattuppongal' on Jan 15, and 'Thiruvalluvar Day' on Jan 16.

The festival is celebrated for four days. On, the first day, Bhogi, the old clothes and materials are thrown away and fired, marking the beginning of a new life. The second day, the Pongal day, is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel - a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal. People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each other's homes, and exchange greetings. The third day, Mattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cows and buffaloes, as they are used to plough the lands. On the last day, Kanum Pongal, people go out to picnic.

A festival called Jalli kathu is held in Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjavur,all in Tamil Nadu, on this day. Bundles of money are tied to the horns of Pongal ferocious bulls which the villagers try to retrieve. Everyone joins in the community meal, at which the food is made of the freshly harvested grain. This day is named and celebrated as Tamilian Tirunal in a fitting manner through out Tamil Nadu.

Thus, the harvest festival of Pongal symbolizes the veneration of the first fruit. The crop is harvested only after a certain time of the year, and cutting the crop before that time is strictly prohibited. Even though Pongal was originally a festival for the farming community, today it is celebrated by all. In south India, all three days of Pongal are considered important. However, those south Indians who have settled in the north usually celebrate only the second day. Coinciding with Makara Sankranti and Lohri of the north, it is also called Pongal Sankranti

ravinder said...

Tamil Pongal


Pongal is to Tamils what Durga Puja is to Bengal, Baisakhi to Punjab, Bihu to Assam, Ugadi to Andhra, Makar Sankranti to Karnataka and other States and Onam to Kerala.

Tamil Pongal heralds the hope of a new era of prosperity. It signifies the end of the harvest season with plenty of hopes pinned on the entire Tamil month of 'Thai' beginning with the Pongal Day.

A Tamil saying goes on that "Thai Piranthal Vali Pirakkum" meaning that when the month of Thai dawns there will be way of love, peace, harmony, prosperity, joyness in everyone's life. The month of Thai (starting on January 14 or 15) is considered very auspicious. Young people eagerly await Thai, for it promises wedlock for them. Others too, expectantly wait for the arrival of this month for celebrating some other happy occasions.

Pongal is the embodiment of Tamil culture. It is during Pongal that the best in the nature and the skills of the people are brought out. Therefore, it is no wonder that people celebrate Pongal to show their gratitude to Mother Nature for blessing them with normal rainfall. Hundreds of temples all over Tamil Nadu arrange for 'Sama Bandhi Virundu' (community feasts) in which people from all castes and religions participate.

The valor of the Tamils is best illustrated in events like 'Jallikattu' or 'Manjuvirattu' in which the youth who control the fearsome bulls are honored and given prizes. Their nature of respecting the elderly and the near and dear ones is revealed on the day of Kaanum Pongal when people visit their elders to pay their obeisance. Skills of womenfolk are clearly manifest during the festival when they decorate the courtyard of their houses with Rangoli and prepare delicacies like 'Sarkarai Pongal' for the Pongal feast.

The Pongal celebrations are spread over four days. The day before Pongal is called Bhogi. It is celebrated as a family festival. On the day of 'Bhogi, people discard their old things by making a bonfire in front of their houses early in the morning amidst the beating of drums. On the Pongal day, the womenfolk draw Rangoli in front of their homes with the caption 'Pongalo Pongal" (Hail Pongal). The right fervor of the celebrations can be seen only in the villages. Newly harvested rice, added with a little milk, is boiled in new mud pots during an auspicious time. Sugarcane is kept by the side of the pots.

As soon as the boiling is over, the cooked rice, i.e. Pongal, is offered to the Sun God. Camphor is lighted, coconut is broken and God is invoked to bless the family for a run of good luck. And the cycle continues every year hoping for prosperity. Everyone wears new clothes on that day and exchanges greetings with friends and relatives. The joy knows no bounds and every landlord is liberal in giving away a substantial amount of the produce to the laborers who work for him.

On the third day during 'Maatu Pongal', the cattle are colorfully decorated with flowers and saffron adorning their foreheads. Their horns painted and they are fed sumptuously. Farmers pray for the good health of the cattle so that the animals can multiply and bring prosperity. On the fourth day, sisters visit their brothers and inquire about their welfare. In one way, it resembles the Raksha Bandhan festival and this day is called as 'Kaanum Pongal'. People also visit their friends on this day.

Tamil Pongal brings family reunions and get together, forgetting enmities and personal rivalries and March towards reconciliation. If one has the ability to chase away the darkness of ignorance and arrogance from within one could attain greatness since ones inner beings is resplendent with peace, love and compassion. Indeed in everyone's heart and mind burns a different light that is light of knowledge and warmth of human love and compassion.

ravinder said...

Pongalo Pongal
Pongalo Pongal!
Thai pongal!
karumbu soru yarukku
yenakku
sarkarai satham yaruku
ungalluku
Pongalo Pongal!
Mattu Pongal!
nandasoru yaruku
mattuku
Pongalo Pongal!
yenna machan
paal pongiyacha
pongalo pongal

Anonymous said...

Sundara Kandam is accorded paramount importance amongst the seven kandams of Srimad Ramayanam. This is because recitation of Sundara Kandam is considered to be most auspicious and wish-fulfilling. In the entire Ramayanam, only the Sundara Kandam has the distinction of being named after a personality of the Ramayanam, Sri Anjaneyaswami. Apart from being known as Anjaneya, Hanumantha, Vayuputra, Ramadhutha, Ramadasa, Maruti, the Lord is known as Sundara, too. Since most of this kandam talks about the various valourous instances of Sri Sundara, it is called Sundara Kandam. Every alankaram performed to Shri Ashtamsa Varada Anjaneyaswami further reiterates the fact that not only the Lord's namam is Sundara, but his rupam is also sundara.

Given all the beautiful alankarams performed to him, it seems as if Shri Ashtamsa Varada Anjeneyaswami himself would be finding it difficult to single out and choose one alankaram in which he appears best.

Indeed blessed are all those, right from the person whom the Lord inspires about the alankaram to the one who performs the alankaram and to the one who publishes them on the Net and gives us the bhagyam of viewing the Lord right on our desktops.



--Karthik

Pushpa Alankaram 21 March 2024