Travel Diary # A HARVEST FESTIVAL IN THE TRUE SENSE #EXPERIENCE

                                 ☚That was (1st one )last year's picture taken @ Tanjavore at my friend's farm.

                          

Present day pictures :

 

Pongal is a Sangam age   harvest festival celebrated all over India for more than 3000 years in various forms and names . On this day, We thank our farmers for bringing out the vegetables and edibles  and the farmers in turn ,thank the  Earth, Water  and Sun and the cattles which help them in doing their cultivations

 Traditionally,  the farmers in villages  display and offer their produce  in front of  a traditional lamp kept facing the East in an open area and worship the Sun god after making a pot full of sweet Pongal  as a respect for helping them in  completing this year’s farming successfully; Its a thanksgiving to the nature .

In the cities we offer bought out vegetables, sugar cane , turmeric  etc  and cook sweet pongal in the cooker or pot , do with it , exchange wishes and call it a festival .

Last Pongal, I noted an  interesting  status update from my friend Nagarjan who lives near Tambaram , Chennai ,about his Pongal celebration with  self farmed vegetables.

 As it was interesting, I decided to go to his house this time  and participate in the festival . He and his wife Meena  had arranged this festival in village style with traditional Rangoli and a “open to sky “Pongal .  I was surprised to see the self cultivated , farm fresh , spread of vegetables. It had everything from  , turmeric and sugarcane to , tomatoes, ladies fingers , ginger, sweet potatoes, beans , broad beans , cluster beans, cucumber, ridge guard , taro ,  radish , , brinjal , chillies, snake guard cowpeas, bananas, coconut etc were there.  They have ensured that all the vegetables, they offer in the pooja are from their terrace garden . In an age where cooked food  are brought from hotels or mess for festivals  , this couple had  made a difference in doing things from the scratch . Nagarajan  and Meena had brought out a real  meaning to this whole  Pongal celebration .

 

The sweet pongal was cooked in the open air at their terrace where the garden is - for their  terrace  was cramped with plant bags and pots  , yet the space utilisation was very efficient. They have used  all the insignificant materials , like  recycled or used items  , like paint drums, bubble top water cans, pet bottles, used buckets  etc for growing plants and  use the left over organic wastes at home as manure .   They have managed a fish tank also and  they use the water from the fish tank as a fertiliser. Interesting isn’t it!

Meena’s  passion in the terrace gardens was very visible from her curiosity and excitement in explaining  the details of farming, she had gone into details of how they get the saplings!, how they nurse it !,protect it  from pests!, mulching!, etc  . She mentioned that throughout the year she manages  the required vegetables, some fruits  and some flowers  from her terrace gardens and sometimes she distributes it to their neighbours also .  

When Most of us go to our villages or to our relative’s villages to celebrate this harvest festival, this couple has showed us how to celebrate a village festival in the city in village style.

 I came back home after a having the delicious Pongal and with the inspiration to celebrate the next pongal  as a real harvest festival in my terrace.  Happy Pongal Dude!

 - experienced and inspired @ Nagarjan's house , Mudichur, Chennai , on 15th of January 2023 

all the pictures were taken @ Nagarjan's home on 15th of January 2023.