ID :
40609
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 11:45
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/40609
The shortlink copeid
M'SIAN HINDUS HOPE FOR A BETTER YEAR THROUGH PONGGAL
PENANG (Malaysia), Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Today (Jan 14) is Ponggal Festival,
an occasion that has R.Subramaniam's family waking up much earlier than usual
to make the necessary preparations, like decorating their house with sugar cane,
mango leaves and drawing the 'kolam".
Kolam is a form of sandpainting that is drawn using rice powder by female
members of the family in front of their home.
Dressed in their colourful new clothes, Subramaniam, his wife and their
three children began the Ponggal or Harvest festival with prayers, followed by
the boiling of fresh milk in an earthen pot in the compound of their home to
symbolise their gratitude to the Sun God or Sooryan for a good year and with the
hope of a better year a head.
Subramaniam, of Kampung Buah Pala, Bukit Gelugor, here, said the best time
to begin the Ponggal festival was about 10.30am when the sun was rising, during
which the family gathered around the pot to wait for the milk to boil and the
precise moment to say "Ponggallo Ponggal" while adding rice and sugar into the
boiling milk.
The mixture of milk, rice and sugar would then be made into candy to be
served to the Sun God, besides "laddu", "jalabi" and fruits, he added.
He said Ponggal would be celebrated for three days.
"Tomorrow, we will celebrate "Mattu Ponggal" where cows will be honoured by
giving them baths and then garlanded with Malai flowers, he added.
He said the ritual of boiling milk would be carried out again in front of
the cow shed and the rice cooked with the milk to be served to the sacred
animal.
The third day is known as "Kanni Ponggal" when young girls are encouraged to
come out of their homes in their best dresses and finery before going to the
temple to pray so that they will find a good husband.
Subramaniam said Ponggal Festival was celebrated every year by residents at
Kampung Buah Pala since 1978.
This year, the village-level celebration would be on Jan 18 and various
programmes had been planned for the occasion, he added.
-- BERNAMA
an occasion that has R.Subramaniam's family waking up much earlier than usual
to make the necessary preparations, like decorating their house with sugar cane,
mango leaves and drawing the 'kolam".
Kolam is a form of sandpainting that is drawn using rice powder by female
members of the family in front of their home.
Dressed in their colourful new clothes, Subramaniam, his wife and their
three children began the Ponggal or Harvest festival with prayers, followed by
the boiling of fresh milk in an earthen pot in the compound of their home to
symbolise their gratitude to the Sun God or Sooryan for a good year and with the
hope of a better year a head.
Subramaniam, of Kampung Buah Pala, Bukit Gelugor, here, said the best time
to begin the Ponggal festival was about 10.30am when the sun was rising, during
which the family gathered around the pot to wait for the milk to boil and the
precise moment to say "Ponggallo Ponggal" while adding rice and sugar into the
boiling milk.
The mixture of milk, rice and sugar would then be made into candy to be
served to the Sun God, besides "laddu", "jalabi" and fruits, he added.
He said Ponggal would be celebrated for three days.
"Tomorrow, we will celebrate "Mattu Ponggal" where cows will be honoured by
giving them baths and then garlanded with Malai flowers, he added.
He said the ritual of boiling milk would be carried out again in front of
the cow shed and the rice cooked with the milk to be served to the sacred
animal.
The third day is known as "Kanni Ponggal" when young girls are encouraged to
come out of their homes in their best dresses and finery before going to the
temple to pray so that they will find a good husband.
Subramaniam said Ponggal Festival was celebrated every year by residents at
Kampung Buah Pala since 1978.
This year, the village-level celebration would be on Jan 18 and various
programmes had been planned for the occasion, he added.
-- BERNAMA
