HOW ANCIENT PONGAL FESTIVAL IS

இனிய பொங்கல் நல்வாழ்த்துகள்

 Iniya Pongal Nal Vazhthukkal

PONGAL is the most important festival of the Tamils. The festival gets its name from the words Sarkarai Pongal (சர்க்கரை பொங்கல்), a sweet dish prepared and offered to the Sun god on this day. 

By the way, do you know who invented the dish Sarkarai Pongal?

The credit of this goes to the famous ancient Chera king Ilam Cheral Irumporai (இளம் சேரல் இரும் பொறை). It was this Chera king (period not accurately known but he died in 141 CE) who started the practice of offering Sweet Pongal made from Rice, Lentils and Jaggery to the god, mentions the famous Tamil Poet Perunkundrur Kizhar (பெறுன்குன்றூர் கிழார்) in a poem found in Pathittrup Pathu (பதிற்றுப் பத்து). We find a mention about it in verse # 90 composed by him:

உடலுனர் மிடல் சாய்த்தும்

மலையும் நிலத்திலும் அரும்பும் வெள்விப் பெற்ற பெரும் பெயர் பலர்கை இரீய

கொற்ற திருவின் உரவோர் உம்பல்

கட்டிப் புழுக்கின் கொங்கர் கோவே

மட்டப் புகாரின் குட்டுவர் ஏறே….

In the above poem, the words Katti and Puzhukku should be understood to refer to Vella Katti or Jaggery and Puzhungal Arisi or boiled rice.  Some scholars insist that Katti in fact is actually Karupatti referring to Palm Jaggery.

The period of origin of the festival is not exactly known but there are ample references about this festival and worship of the Sun god in Sangam Literature which is about 3000 years old (600-300 BC).

Silappadikaram, generally accepted to have been composed during 150-170 CE, mentions the popularity of the Pongal festival - particularly the Sun-god worship, in Cauvery Delta region of Chozha Nadu.

ஞாயிறு போற்றுதும்! ஞாயிறு போற்றுதும் காவிரி நாடன் திகிரி போல் பொற்கோட்டு  மேரு வலம் திரிதலான்

The great poet Nakkeeran, who lived during 3rd Century CE and who is credited with composing Thiru Murugatru Padai, also mentions about worship of Sun God.

உலகம் உவப்ப வலனேர்பு திரிதருபல்கதிர் ஞாயிறு கடல் கண்டாங்கு!

Pongal festival was earlier known by various names such as Thai Neeradal and Indira Vizha etc. With the dominance of the Brahmin community, especially during the Maratha Rule (17th & 18th centuries), the festival also came to be known as Sankaranti.

Thai Neeradal

From the name Thai Neeradal we get another clue. That the celebration of the festival was in vogue before the change of names of Tamil months to Aryan names such as Chithirai, Vaikasi, Aani, Aadi etc. Prior to it, Tamil months maintained their original Sangam Period pure Tamil names such as Ootrai for Chithirai, Puyaazhi for Vaikasi and Punmizh  for Marghazhi etc. Thai is the only month in the present day Tamil calendar to retain its original Sangam Period Tamil name. 

Indra Vizha

I came across a very interesting information that it was the mythological Chola king Muchukunda Chakravarthy 

(முசுகுந்த சக்ரவர்த்தி) who started the practice of celebrating Indira Vizha and popularized it at the then Chola capital city Poompuhar.

The Tamil text Chiru Paanaatrup Padai (சிறுபாணாற்றுப்படை)  refers to him as Thoongeyil Erintha Thoditol Sembian_

தூங்கு எயில் எறிந்த தொடி விளங்கு தடக்கை நாடா நல்லிசை நற்றேர்ச் செம்பியன்

According to the legend the king, whose face resembled a monkey (muchuku = monkey) helped Lord Indira to defeat a demon. In return, Indira gave him plenty of gifts and with this the practice of Indira vizha started.

We have authentic records of the festival being popular in Poompuhar during 2nd Century BC. Around this time the ships from Tamralipti (Bengal) and Palur (Orissa) used to anchor in the Port city, celebrate Indira vizha before  sailing off to Rome, Arabia and other ports.

Iniya Pongal Nal Vazhthukkal 

எமது இனிய பொங்கல் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்