January 15, 2005
PONGALO pongal
Today is pongal …this is one renowned festival that we simply love at my place, especially because of the going home after lengthy gap and that we celebrate and enjoy… “adhula nanga ellarum kuuttam kudana podhum” ( when we all gather at a place ..that’s it ) things were extra special!! And the moment I think of it, sweet memories ,sweet pongal, sweet karumbu, fly all over my mind “ellamae sweet thaan” ( everything is sweet ) …
If we think of pongal the image comes into our mind is “karumbu”( sugar cane),”pongal” ( a recipe of rice with some sugar , can call as sweet rice ),”koora poo”,”Maattu pongal”…n can hear every where PONGALO PONGAL ….
Pongal day usualy starts too early…at my place gala starts a the day before ….we can view streets overflowing with playing children and this is the time when some people can make a few money by selling “koora poo “ (some plants found in jungles )…some time before we can hear ..” Koora poo ..koora poo renda ruva renda ruva …”( 2 rs each )..Now with time it is changed to “ Koora POOOooooooooo aanja ruva aanja reva…”( 5 rs each )..It is must to tie that plant bundle in front of home on pongal occation….some tradition n believe…….
Some people get “karumbu” (sugar cane) a day before …at my home my appa ( father ) used to get karumbu on midnight of 13 jan … and minimum count of the karumbu would be 50…not less then that…that too the karumbu would be as it is harvested from field..with root n leaves…
By getting the required things to prepare the special dish “pongal” and “karumbu” my dad work is over and done with. Now starts our ( our na ponnanga ) work……
The actual fun was in getting the house arranged for the festival… We generally clean the house before pongal..”Other days “la summa melappala thaan veetta clean pannavom” that too now all are scattered to different places for studies for work..so “yedhachi festival ka munnala thaan veetta nalla clean pannara work erakum”
Once the cleaning work is finished ,washing work starts…full home shud be washed with water..once done with all sorts of work..… and then only the real thing starts, selecting the “kolam “(a sort of drawing which is put with “ kola podi”[ white powder] in front of house in normal days and with colors during special occasions..)
click here to see what a kolam is ......
Myself and Papa always would be selecting “kolam” … and then we would trigger off the never ending argument which kolam shud be put and which color combination shud be used… each of us would have our own favorite “kolam”, and would want that one to be put in front of home.… some times it ends with big fight and then no body would be ready to put kolam in front of home..but that is the other issue only Papa would atlast put kolam..she is very good expert putting kolam ..gained a lot of appraisal and”wah wah” from neighborhood and others in street.
Public passing before my home will stand for a while to have a glance at the kolam, murmur some praising words and then only they used to move….we used to see that hiding from windows..
Papa used to have a collection of kolams in her notebook called “kolam note”and all in our street all aware of that …..the notebook would be in rotation a week before pongal..it comes to her hand only a day before pongal..some time It comes n again it starts it journey before pongal soon she selects the kolam…..
In our home she is the only one who know to put a excellent kolam…none others know ..others only knows some 3 or 4 kolams with which we manage..in case if papa is not at home i will do my R n D with kolam….will put what ever I like to ..….ofcourse in the end it comes good…
Once the cleaning n kolam selection is finished than almost the work for that day ( a day before pongal is done from our side).next set of work starts at 1 am or 2 am ( pongal day)..
Meanwhile my “amma” (mom ) work also goes simultaneously buying of “koora poo” ,cleaning “velakku “( traditional candle)….
“Apparom enna enga kottam kudiravom”..(all gathered in one room)….we dance,chit chat.. ..then the “kootam”( gang) moves altogether to watch tv ..then we also put “kolam in samy room and vasa padi with semmun ( red soil )” and this would continue well into the midnight of day before pongal…at last all goes to sleep except papa .
My work is limited only till selection of kolam..all other job would be taken care by others…Work of papa starts in midnight ..first thing she used to do is“vaassal kuti ,tholikaradhu”On special occations like pongal n diwali my akka would take care of that job as it would take minimum 3 hours to put big kolam and to colour it…
As “Margali” ( tamil month) is just finished and “Thai “( tamil month) has just started so weather is still a bit chill outside during midnight..we can find all putting “kolam” with full protection i.e using skaffs and sweater.,but papa never use that ..and the very next day she is affected by cold…ofcousre she gets good scolding from us that is different thing..
I used to get up around 3am usually the time when things are almost done..sometimes papa do just by herself or sometimes my sister would be helping her..
Me the great would come out of home when everything is done then we go for a visit in our street n near by streets from home to home with my digi camera in my hand….which ever kolam we find good we will capture in our camera….Next day we do analysis of all “kolams”…
This capturing business started 2 years before only ..as before that I did;nt had digi camera..
After visit , time then starts to go to sleep but it would be almost 4.30 or 5am.
Just when papa is about to go to sleep my dad would getup and will start his work.
First thing he would do is play devotional song with high decibals..The moment the songs touched our ear drums....we would start murmuring “ yedhaka evalavu sound vachirakeenga /Kyun itna sound raka hai” ( y this much sound )..sometimes my thambi would go n reduce the volume but my dad would be always alert n the very next moment the volume is reduced he increases it that makes the sleep for all to be disturbed…..
Around 6 my dad would insist apply oil particulary my thambi would be always trapped in my his hand..
And then would start the puja arrangement… Myself and thambi would be given incharge to do all needed arrangement for puja.. ..
Mom would be busy preparing pongal..in our home only cooker pongal..but from near by we can hear “kulavai “(a sound which ladies make when the rice boiled water raises above the mouth of pot and flows all around the pot…somewhat like ulu ulu lu lu lu) … and “PONGALO PONGAL “ ..It is a tradition to do so…
Once pongal is prepared it would be followed by puja and then the whole family sit together and have pongal and breakfast .
After that we would be forced to go around the entire neighborhood and distribute the pongal with banana and coconut.In turn we also receive the same from neighbor .Then time is passed by watching tv and continuing the left out sleep or meeting friends,chit chat..… that’s the time of the year when we get back in touch with long lost friends and cousins as well… visits to friends places would be planned in such a way that everyone’s house is covered with a proper schedule. Mostly I never used to go to any home on that day…;)..instead my friends visit my home..
The most unforgettable part of “Pongal” is “karumbu”… when we were young, we had to wait for my mom and dad to finish puja and treat us with the “pongal” and “karumbu”… and then from when I was in college, we would treat ourselves regarding “karumbu” ..finish it off without any traces at all,..
It’s been two full years since I’ve been home for Pongal…jus talked with family over phone …. all in this alien country jus sitting at office and thinking about the past and how I miss all that jus for ………………………………..
Previous ->>
If we think of pongal the image comes into our mind is “karumbu”( sugar cane),”pongal” ( a recipe of rice with some sugar , can call as sweet rice ),”koora poo”,”Maattu pongal”…n can hear every where PONGALO PONGAL ….
Pongal day usualy starts too early…at my place gala starts a the day before ….we can view streets overflowing with playing children and this is the time when some people can make a few money by selling “koora poo “ (some plants found in jungles )…some time before we can hear ..” Koora poo ..koora poo renda ruva renda ruva …”( 2 rs each )..Now with time it is changed to “ Koora POOOooooooooo aanja ruva aanja reva…”( 5 rs each )..It is must to tie that plant bundle in front of home on pongal occation….some tradition n believe…….
Some people get “karumbu” (sugar cane) a day before …at my home my appa ( father ) used to get karumbu on midnight of 13 jan … and minimum count of the karumbu would be 50…not less then that…that too the karumbu would be as it is harvested from field..with root n leaves…
By getting the required things to prepare the special dish “pongal” and “karumbu” my dad work is over and done with. Now starts our ( our na ponnanga ) work……
The actual fun was in getting the house arranged for the festival… We generally clean the house before pongal..”Other days “la summa melappala thaan veetta clean pannavom” that too now all are scattered to different places for studies for work..so “yedhachi festival ka munnala thaan veetta nalla clean pannara work erakum”
Once the cleaning work is finished ,washing work starts…full home shud be washed with water..once done with all sorts of work..… and then only the real thing starts, selecting the “kolam “(a sort of drawing which is put with “ kola podi”[ white powder] in front of house in normal days and with colors during special occasions..)
click here to see what a kolam is ......
Myself and Papa always would be selecting “kolam” … and then we would trigger off the never ending argument which kolam shud be put and which color combination shud be used… each of us would have our own favorite “kolam”, and would want that one to be put in front of home.… some times it ends with big fight and then no body would be ready to put kolam in front of home..but that is the other issue only Papa would atlast put kolam..she is very good expert putting kolam ..gained a lot of appraisal and”wah wah” from neighborhood and others in street.
Public passing before my home will stand for a while to have a glance at the kolam, murmur some praising words and then only they used to move….we used to see that hiding from windows..
Papa used to have a collection of kolams in her notebook called “kolam note”and all in our street all aware of that …..the notebook would be in rotation a week before pongal..it comes to her hand only a day before pongal..some time It comes n again it starts it journey before pongal soon she selects the kolam…..
In our home she is the only one who know to put a excellent kolam…none others know ..others only knows some 3 or 4 kolams with which we manage..in case if papa is not at home i will do my R n D with kolam….will put what ever I like to ..….ofcourse in the end it comes good…
Once the cleaning n kolam selection is finished than almost the work for that day ( a day before pongal is done from our side).next set of work starts at 1 am or 2 am ( pongal day)..
Meanwhile my “amma” (mom ) work also goes simultaneously buying of “koora poo” ,cleaning “velakku “( traditional candle)….
“Apparom enna enga kottam kudiravom”..(all gathered in one room)….we dance,chit chat.. ..then the “kootam”( gang) moves altogether to watch tv ..then we also put “kolam in samy room and vasa padi with semmun ( red soil )” and this would continue well into the midnight of day before pongal…at last all goes to sleep except papa .
My work is limited only till selection of kolam..all other job would be taken care by others…Work of papa starts in midnight ..first thing she used to do is“vaassal kuti ,tholikaradhu”On special occations like pongal n diwali my akka would take care of that job as it would take minimum 3 hours to put big kolam and to colour it…
As “Margali” ( tamil month) is just finished and “Thai “( tamil month) has just started so weather is still a bit chill outside during midnight..we can find all putting “kolam” with full protection i.e using skaffs and sweater.,but papa never use that ..and the very next day she is affected by cold…ofcousre she gets good scolding from us that is different thing..
I used to get up around 3am usually the time when things are almost done..sometimes papa do just by herself or sometimes my sister would be helping her..
Me the great would come out of home when everything is done then we go for a visit in our street n near by streets from home to home with my digi camera in my hand….which ever kolam we find good we will capture in our camera….Next day we do analysis of all “kolams”…
This capturing business started 2 years before only ..as before that I did;nt had digi camera..
After visit , time then starts to go to sleep but it would be almost 4.30 or 5am.
Just when papa is about to go to sleep my dad would getup and will start his work.
First thing he would do is play devotional song with high decibals..The moment the songs touched our ear drums....we would start murmuring “ yedhaka evalavu sound vachirakeenga /Kyun itna sound raka hai” ( y this much sound )..sometimes my thambi would go n reduce the volume but my dad would be always alert n the very next moment the volume is reduced he increases it that makes the sleep for all to be disturbed…..
Around 6 my dad would insist apply oil particulary my thambi would be always trapped in my his hand..
And then would start the puja arrangement… Myself and thambi would be given incharge to do all needed arrangement for puja.. ..
Mom would be busy preparing pongal..in our home only cooker pongal..but from near by we can hear “kulavai “(a sound which ladies make when the rice boiled water raises above the mouth of pot and flows all around the pot…somewhat like ulu ulu lu lu lu) … and “PONGALO PONGAL “ ..It is a tradition to do so…
Once pongal is prepared it would be followed by puja and then the whole family sit together and have pongal and breakfast .
After that we would be forced to go around the entire neighborhood and distribute the pongal with banana and coconut.In turn we also receive the same from neighbor .Then time is passed by watching tv and continuing the left out sleep or meeting friends,chit chat..… that’s the time of the year when we get back in touch with long lost friends and cousins as well… visits to friends places would be planned in such a way that everyone’s house is covered with a proper schedule. Mostly I never used to go to any home on that day…;)..instead my friends visit my home..
The most unforgettable part of “Pongal” is “karumbu”… when we were young, we had to wait for my mom and dad to finish puja and treat us with the “pongal” and “karumbu”… and then from when I was in college, we would treat ourselves regarding “karumbu” ..finish it off without any traces at all,..
It’s been two full years since I’ve been home for Pongal…jus talked with family over phone …. all in this alien country jus sitting at office and thinking about the past and how I miss all that jus for ………………………………..
Previous ->>