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by Jayanthi Liyanage

Thaiparandhal Walipirakkan" or in other words, "when Thai is born, it paves the way for hope." So goes the Tamil saying.

Thai Pongal 2003, the first in the country, after the cessation of two decades of war, is as auspicious as the passing of the monsoons of Maha season, or Margazhi which symbolised the sun's death in its journey to the winter solstice, re-kindling the hope of continued peace, the joy of living and expectations of future prosperity in Tamil people scattered all over Sri Lanka.

Compared to the Christmas celebrations of last month, when Colombo was literally decked to the hilt in seasonal decor, Thai Pongal is observed in a more homely and unobtrusive manner, which in turn, brings out its significance more prominently.

"This is an occasion of joy, celebration and festive gathering to Tamil people all over the world," the Thai Pongal message from the Minister of Hindu Religious Affairs T. Mahaewaran is a reflection of this hope of peace, specially to the Tamil people here, whose spirit of festivity in the previous years would have been quelled under the blanket of war. The message continues saying that with the good initiatives taken by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to lay a solid foundation to find solutions to the problems faced by the Tamil people here, Thai Pongal 2003 could well usher in an era of fulfilling their aspirations in a resurgent Sri Lanka.

Shivanathan - at 18, full of smiles for Pongal.

The Minister's sentiments are echoed by the Tamil people, many of who, while dreaming of Thai Pongal back home, will be celebrating the festival in Colombo.

Makandan, who is employed as a driver at a "Sivar Kade" (eating house) in Slave Island, is not sure whether he would have a spare vehicle to visit his family in Talawakele during Thai Pongal. "Over there, the celebrations are sure to be grand this time. But, my work commitments are such that I don't know whether I would be able to join them."

At the entrance to the Kadiresan Kovil, Bambalapitiya, the small community of about 13 garland and flower vendors are also getting ready for Thai Pongal, though each in his own manner. For these migrant vendors from the hills or the south or beyond, leaving families back home, Thai Pongal means forgetting home and being at their huts to cash in on the "flower business" expected with Pongal crowds flocking to the Kovil on festival day.

Celebrating with the family.

"This is my third month here away from home," says 18 year old K. Shivanathan from Matale, bringing in a huge bag of frangipani blossoms. He plans on rising early on 15th morning, bathing and worshipping God Ganapathy at the Kovil with an offering of his Pongal rice of coconut milk, cashew nut, raisins and jaggery. "Next day, I will bathe my two cows, place a "pottu" on their foreheads, feed them Pongal and let them have a cool day outside their shed," he adds with a fond smile breaking all over his face.

Thomas, 52, from Galle, with two sons serving in the Army, touches on a different perspective of Thai Pongal as seen by the Colombo vending community.

"Our income has gone down by almost half as many Tamil people from Wellawatte, Bambalapitiya and surrounding areas have now gone back to the North. I've been here 38 years and in previous Thai pongals, one could expect about 60,000 coming to the Kovil and buying offerings from us. I think this figure has now gone down to about 5,000." Income now mostly rests on those seeking flowers for wedding festivities, he reflects pensively.

Cattle honoured for their  life-long toil.

"As there is no Sinhala New Year without milk rice, so there cannot be a Thai Pongal without Kolams," explains Thomas. "It is by Kolam that we invite guests to come and take Pongal with us."

We have to be deft and complete drawing of the Kolam with the rising of the sun, adds Shivanathan as Thomas continues, with regret, "For our forefathers, farmers, this was a festival evoking rain. The modern society has no time to celebrate Thai Pongal. They are busy with day-to-day affairs."

V. Madhavan, 63, a coconut and camphor vendor, speaks about how he would cook the "Pongal porridge" for his beloved cattle. "I will make them a huge pot of porridge with rice, pumpkin and jaggery and let them eat to their heart's content." An enterpriser, his mind is already on a new business which could rake in a sizeable income on the Thai Pongal Day. "Sugar cane, that's it," he muses, elaborating how it will be used to decorate the thresholds of homes.

"After cleaning the house, we sprinkle the floor with turmeric water and decorate the doorway with mango leaves and sugar cane."

Mrs. Vivekanandaraja, rushing home to Grandpass after visiting friends at Bambalapitiya flats, anticipates "a joyful Thai Pongal after many years".

Fourteen-year-old Nidharshana, rushed for her tuition by mother Gowrie Thiagalaingam, speaks of the limitations of celebrating Thai Pongal in a flat as opposed to the sprawling expanses of rurality where the grand pot of Pongal rice is cooked under an open blue sky, generously fanned by the friendly winds, and not within the closed confines of the kitchen. "Amma, this year, can we bring the Pongal pot out into the sun?" Nidharshana asks her mother.

"Times were when Bambalapitiya flats had inmates from all communities and Sinhalese and Muslims joined us for Thai Pongal celebrations. Now, only the Tamils are here and we are celebrating among only ourselves," Gowrie is sad.

As we take leave of these friendly citizens of our country, we hope that the coming Thai Pongal would be another stepping stone to forge stronger links in our arduous journey towards peace and Gowrie could once again have her wish of collective celebrations. And Nidharshana could certainly bring her Pongal pot out of her home, into the sun.

******

The significance of the harvest festival

Thai Pongal. Thai, the first month of the Tamil Almanac, beginning on January 13/14. Pongol, a dish of sweet concoction of rice, Moong Dal, jaggery and milk.

Thai Pongal, the merriest and may be, the most popular Hindu festival of India and Sri Lanka, a harvest festival and a feast of thanksgiving to the Sun God, the God known to all the living, and the giver of plentiful harvest. In India where the majority are farmers, this rural festival is the celebration of the withdrawal of Southeast Monsoons and reaping of a joyful harvest.

Pongal has many legends. The most popular is that Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger to save his people from being washed away by the rains and floods. Another says that Lord Shiva asked his bull, Nandi, to go to earth and tell the people to have an oil bath daily and have food once a month.

But, Nandi got it all mixed up and told the people to eat daily and bathe monthly. Shiva was annoyed and said,"Now that people need to eat more, you stay on earth and help them plough the fields more!"

Thai Pongal is family-oriented and the day begins with the boiling of a clay pot of Pongol rice at sunrise in the front of the house as the family delightfully cries out, "Pongal! Pongal! auchu!" which means, "It's boiling! It's boiling!"

Pongal is a three to four day festival. The first, "Bhogi Pongol" is a day for the family. Homes are washed, decorated, doorways painted with vermillion and sandalwood paste with colourful garlands of leaves and flowers decorating the home exteriors. This day, "Bhogi", the Rain God, is worshipped.

The place where the Pongal Puja is to be conducted, generally an open court yard, is cleaned and smeared with cow dung, a day before the festival.

The second, "Surya Pongal" is dedicated to the worship of Sun God. In the third, "Mattu Pongol", the descendants of Nandi, cattle which help to produce the life-sustaining rice are honoured by them being bathed and gaily caparisoned with beads, bells, flowers and coloured powder. The horns are capped with gleaming metals. People from the entire village get together for a community feast to share their crops and thank those who lent a hand to bring in a successful harvest. The fourth day which is observed in some parts is generally a day of rest.

"Kolams" (Rangoli) marks the dawn of Thai Pongal in front yards of houses, drawn with rice flour paste. The idea is that ants and insects would feed on it and bless the house. At its centre is a lump of cow dung, holding a five-petal pumpkin flower, a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity.

In Madurai, Tanjore and Tiruchirrapalli, bundles of money are tied to the horns of fierce bulls and villagers have fun, pitting their strength to wrest the bundles away from them.

Though deprived of the open spaces of the village, the urban people also celebrate Thai pongal with the same gusto and spirit. Thai pongal 2003 falls on January 15.

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