Pongal Pandigai

To know more about Pongal pandigai , check this link :
http://hindutradition.blogspot.com/2008/12/pongal-pandigai.html

Pongal is a harvest festival, which lasts for four days. It is celebrated accross India by different names. Pongal literally means, "boiling over". The Tamil harvest festival is celebrated with decorated cows, processions and decorative Rangoli. Pongal is a dish, which is a sweet porridge made from newly harvested rice and eaten by all, even the animals. Each day of this festival has a special significance and importance; however, it is celebrated more grandly and elaborately in the villages. The festival is celebrated for four days.

Regional Significance of Pongal :

The harvest festival of Pongal has its unique regional significance. The festival of Pongal is celebrated all over India on the same day, but has different names in each region. However, being a harvest festival, bonfires and feasts are the main thing common to all the celebrations of this festival. Almost all the states of India celebrate this festival with varied festivities including singing and dancing.

• In northern India, the festival is known as Lohri
• In Assam it is called Bhogali Bihu
• In Uttar Pradesh , Bihar , Karnataka it is known as Sankranti,
• In Andhra Pradesh it is celebrated as Bhogi,

when each household puts on display its collection of dolls. Following is the state wise regional significance of the Pongal festival. In Maharashtra, the flying of kites in the sky marks the festival of Makar Sankranti. On this day, people exchange homemade delicacies like til and gur laddoos and wish each other. A newly wed woman gives away oil, cotton and sesame seeds to mark the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. In Gujarat, also Makar Sankranti is kite-flying day. Traditionally celebrated on the 13th or 14th January. Every family is seen flying kite outside.


Source : http://www.festivalsinindia.net/pongal/