In a bid to thank the nature spirit – the earth, sun and farm animals, Tamils- the farmers in particular – celebrate the Thai Pongal ceremony on the first day of the month of Thai.
Farmers offer the first harvest of the field to nature’s spirit, the sun, in the form of cooked sweetened rice.
They do not forget to make this an occasion to thank the farm animals who contribute to the success and prosperity of agriculture in a big way.
Hence their first ceremony of the year was the thanks-giving ceremony. The ceremony is being continued in a grand way as the farmers have not underestimated the importance of the nature spirits and the farm animals. Rice consuming population join the farmers in this important ceremony.
Recipients of the gratitude
The recipients of the above gratitude are farm animals including cows, oxen and buffaloes. Farmers thank the sun god for energizing them and the farm animals for helping them to produce rice in abundance. Meanwhile, the rice consumers in the rest of the population are obliged to venerate the sun god and thank the farm animals for helping the farmers to produce rice and also the farmers for producing rice. The obligation of the rice consuming community
Thai Pongal is an occasion celebrated not only by almost all the Tamils but also by all those who consume rice throughout the world.
