Mattu Pongal
mattu pongal tamil மாட்டுப் பொங்கல்பட்டிப் பொங்கல் third day fourday pongal festival according gregorian calendar celebrated january though name festival specific tamil nadu also celebrated southern indian state andhra pradesh karnataka makar sankranti festival mark start northern declination sun zodiac sign sagittarius capricorn according tamil calendar usually fall january tamil word mattu mean bull day pongal celebration cattle particularly bull play vital role working hard help farmer raise crop field fall following day january festival also observed ethnic tamil population sri lanka festival day also special occasion landlord peasant rich poor old young dine together spirit bonhomie without restraint caste creed festival thus occasion fresh harvest field shared form food sweet community also animal bird also represents change season important village sport called jallikattu manji virattu integral part mattu pongal festival observed enthusiasm expectation village tamil nadu sport held generally evening mattu pongal day past day fierce bull chased young youth village retrieve money tied horn bull village held one day mattu pongal day kannum pongal day mattu pongal made two tamil word mattu meaning bull pongal literally meaning boiled rice rice lentil dish metaphorically meaning prosperity pongal festival also represents celebration fertility renewal observed either three day fourdays end monsoon season rice paddy crop harvested according legend linked mattu pongal god shiva sent bull nandi mount shiva gate keeper heaven earth give message people oil bath every day eat month instead nandi wrongly advised people take oil bath month eat every day shiva annoyed advice related food fit rage banished nandi permanently live earth help farmer produce extra food crop needed people eat every day observance mattu pongal part pongal festival pongal generally fourday festival fervent celebration held january marking officially declared tamil new year day beginning month thai starting january every year per tamil calendar first day called bhogi – last day dhanurmas month sagittarius preparatory day pongal honour god indra king heaven day spring cleaning people decorate home buy new vessel burn old unwanted item pongal main festival also called perum pongal big festival second day sun worshipped signifying first day month makara capricornus celebrated makara sankranti simply sankranti rest country followed mattu pongal celebration third day bull cow farm animal worshipped fourth day kannum pongal kanru pongal calf pongal festival calf fed however name kannum also denotes day people visit elder village town seeking blessing four day festival kolam threshold drawing drawn coloured rice powder chalk powder front yard house due washing yard first day image rice drawn second day good luck sign sun drawn mattu pongal day kolam depicts cow also four day shiva consort parvati son ganesha worshipped pongal – rice preparation – offered puja thereafter cattle neck pot pongal rice prepared tied fresh turmeric leaf piece sugarcane ingredient cooked pot consist rice green gram milk cooking overflow milk particularly observed significance householder milk flow right side pot considered auspicious augury sometimes image ganesha crafted cowdung crafted ganesha bedecked arugampul kind grass thumbai white flower avaram yellow flower pongal cooked mud pot placed floor kolam drawn skirted red sand pongalrice along turmeric ginger sugar cane yellow garland stick used drive bull also placed offering ganesha practice pongal celebrated three day kannum pongal kannu pongal observed concurrently mattu pongal sister symbolically offer small part rice dish prepared festival coloured ball cooked rice crow bird sparrow special prayer wellbeing brother making offering crow call word tamil ‘kakai ku pudi kuruvi ku pudi’ literally mean rice ball crow rice ball sparrow mattu pongal day cattle washed horn painted decorated shining metal cap multicoloured bead tinkling bell sheaf corn flower garland tied around neck turmeric kumkum also devotionally put forehead cattle cow–keepers dressed regale sprinkle cattle saffron water mango leaf prayer protect evil shout popular slogan festival பொங்கலோ பொங்கல் pongaloo pongal prayer special wish progressive prosperity growth cattle population blessing indra krishna gopala cowherd devotee pay respect cow bending like praying temple touching foot forehead followed aarti showing camphor flame object praise offering cattle prasad food offering case called sakkar pongal – delicacy cooked rice moong dal green gram jaggery dry fruit cattle taken procession attended band music village street public space village resounding bell attracts villager young men race others cattle entire atmosphere becomes festive full fun revelry big commotion seen game jallikattu manji virattu start group young men chase running bull jallikattu lit bull embracing initially bull taming village sport held afternoon evening mattu pongal celebration sport popular southern part tamil nadu particularly madurai tiruchirapalli tanjavur day bull worshipped fed day horn tied bundle money form coin note young boy chased bull lassoed retrieved money tied horn failed bull ran away seen next morning milder form sport seen village tamil nadu year back traditional sport changed nayaka rule tamil nadu harmless bullchasing sport got transformed present form jallikattu bloodier bullwrestling sport take place village throughout tamil nadu celebrate mattu pongal jallikattu ancient sport tamil nadu corroborated rock painting bull chasing sport discovered massive rock surface karikkiyur nilgiris tamil nadu dated bc bc jallikattu event held well organised manner bull owner youthful village men present form prize offered bull fighter bull owner bull fight held central location village people assemble large number witness fight held enclosure foot marker bull specially trained occasion led pen ring fight one one young boy village grab bull horn neck tail try hold boy thrown hurt seriously within ring prize given hold even thrown way injured prize given contesting young men hold bull marker entrance pen given prize bull win prize go bull owner said village many bull participant spectator participate fight man bull quite fierce many time bloody considered heroic act part young men young participant show heroism displaying number cut suffered fight type fight said akin bull fight spain however case fight win prize holding bulls’ neck horn bull never killed however many boy get killed goring bull since fight bare hand confidence strength many instance audience watching fight also injured ferocious bull recent year death young boy festival created furore among public one year report death many young men apart mauling trampling spectator result death young men supreme court approached stop festival considered inhuman dangerous plea made jallikattu backward dangerous violation animals’ right detrimental india modernizing image stoppage festival however resulted protest villager wanted sport continue finally assurance given state government enough security safety arrangement would provided sport location village jallikattu permitted observed part mattu pongal festival result court intervention doctor ready call attend injured young men boy two tier high bamboo fencing also erected bull ring audience come witness fight large number study similarity holding hindu seasonal festival particularly south india termed prehistoric christianity europe indicate similarity may coincidental winter solstice date sun entering capricorn tradition coincides makara sankranti called uttarayana meaning return luminary northern region first day new year starting month magha according hindu tamil calendar corresponds december per christian date called sign goat happens midjanuary according hindu calendar makara sankranti celebrated among hindu three day mattu pongal feast cattle held day sun entering capricorn slight variation date followed festival varying year year essence observing makara sankranti among hindu worship cattle hindu mattu pongal striking similarity catholic function held january rome saint anthony day cattle cow horse goat ass forth blessed wilson allegorically given analogy time year decorating cattle sprinkling water purport blessing may exempt evil decidedly indian could dravira brahmin set sudden piazza asked ceremony witnessed doubt answer would declare celebrating pongal