Page 25 - Pastiche Vol 1 Edition 1 January 2019

Thai Pongal the four-day long festival according to the Tamil calendar, dedicated to the Sun God is usually celebrated from January 14 to January 17, corresponding to

Thai Pongal, the four-day long Tamil festival
dedicated to the Sun God is celebrated from January
14 to January 17, corresponding to Makara
Sankranthi, to convey appreciation to the Sun God
for successful harvest. Its origin dates to more than
1000 years ago. Epigraphic evidence suggests the
celebration of the Puthiyeedu during the Medieval
Chola empire days. The day marks the start of the
sun's six-month-long journey northwards which
corresponds to the Indic solstice when the sun
enters the 10th house of the Indian zodiac Makara Women celebrating Pongal in Tamil Nadu
or Capricorn.

Thai Pongal is celebrated by Tamil people in the Indian states, Sri Lanka, as well as the Tamils
scattered worldwide. In 2017, Delegate David Bulova introduced a joint resolution HJ573 in
the Virginia House of Delegates to designate January 14 of each year as Pongal Day. This day is
celebrated in as Lohri in Punjab, as Makar Sankranti in the North Indian states, as Hadaga in
Maharashtra, as Uttarayana in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and as Bihu in Assam

Name Region

Thai Pongal Tamil Nadu

Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar, Goa,
Makara Sankranthi Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh,

Maharashtra, Manipur, Telangana Uttar Pradesh
Uttarayana Gujarat and Rajasthan

Maghi Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab

Magh Bihu/Bhogali Bihu Assam

Maghe Sankranti or Makar Sankranti Nepal

Shakrain Bangladesh

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