Pongal Date 2023, Thai Pongal 2023
Pongal is a Hindu festival celebrated prominently in the Southern states of India especially by the people of Tamil Nadu. Pongal is a four days festival and Thai Pongal is regarded as the most important day of Pongal. Thai Pongal which is the second day of the four days Pongal festival is also celebrated as Sankranti. Sankranti is celebrated in the whole of India with different names. It is the same day as Makar Sankranti which is celebrated prominently in North Indian states when people take holy dip in river Ganges. Pongal is like thanksgiving to the Sun God for harvest and appreciating and showing gratitude to nature.
The day before Thai Pongal is known as Bogi Pandigai. People clean and decorate their homes and light bonfire to ward of unused wooden items. The same day is celebrated as Lohri by Sikh and Punjabi community in Punjab and Northern States of India.
On the day of Thai Pongal, freshly harvested rice is boiled with fresh milk and jaggery in a new clay pot. People let the milk spill over the pot while boiling intentionally as an auspicious sign of material abundance and prosperity. Later rice, milk and jaggery, known as Pongal, is topped with brown sugar, Ghee, cashew nuts and raisins. Freshly cooked Pongal is first offered to the Sun God as a gratitude for good harvesting and later served on banana leaves to the people in the home. Pongal is cooked at sunrise at an open place traditionally.
Thai Pongal is the first day of Thai month as per Tamil Calendar. Thai is the tenth month in Tamil Calendar. Thai Masam is known as Makar in other Hindu calendars. The third day of Thai Pongal is known as Mattu Pongal when Cows are decorated and worshipped on Mattu Pongal day. The last and final day i.e the 4th day of Pongal is known as Kaanum Pongal. It is the time when family is reunited in Tamil Nadu.
Pongal is celebrated by the name of:
Makar Sankranti in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha , Kerala
Uttarayana in Rajasthan and Gujarat
Maghi in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh
Magh Bihu in Assam
Maghe Sankranti in Nepal
Thai Pongal 2023 Muhurat
Thai Pongal 2023 Date - Sunday, January 15, 2023
Thai Pongal Sankranti Moment - 08:57 PM, Jan 14
Makar Sankranti 2023 Date - Sunday, January 15, 2023
Name of the festival | Date | Day |
Bhogi Festival | 14 January 2023 | Saturday |
Surya Pongal/Thai Pongal | 15 January 2023 | Sunday |
Mattu Pongal | 16 January 2023 | Monday |
Kaanum Pongal | 17 January 2023 | Tuesday |