Visitors, shoppers and business owners celebrate Ponggal in grand fashion
KLANG: Little India in Jalan Tengku Kelana here is a commercial centre that always buzzes with shoppers.
Yesterday, though, it turned into a colourful little village with grand harvest festival celebrations.
Shops were decked out with sugarcane stalks, banana trees, thoranam (festoon made of coconut leaves), mango leaves and flowers as well as colourful kolam designs, as the Ponggal celebrations were held in a grand manner.
Hordes of people also gathered outside these outlets to watch and enjoy the celebratory vibes that welcomed Ponggal, a festival usually celebrated privately in Tamil homes.
Vikash Sdn Bhd proprietor T. Barthiban, 56, said this year’s Ponggal celebrations in the commercial area was grander than last year.
“Many shops cooked the sweet ponggal rice in front of their shops and offered prayers for a better year ahead,” said Barthiban, whose shop sells various cash and carry items.
The sweet rice is cooked with milk, ghee, jaggery, raisins, cashew nuts and cardamom. When it boils over, everyone shouts “ponggalo, ponggal” signifying the boiling over of good tidings.
Retail store Sri Murugan founder Selvan Govindasamy, 63, agreed that more shops had joined in the Ponggal celebrations this year. “I believe business last year, as well as Ponggal sales this year, were quite good. That is why many shops are joining in,” he added.
Selvan said his family and workers had prepared two varieties of ponggal rice and distributed it to customers, bystanders as well as to other shops in the area.
Arunas Textiles managing director R. Thillaynathan said Tamils believed Ponggal denotes new beginnings, thus it is good to start it off with the sweet ponggal rice that is cooked during the festival.
Besides cooking the rice and the community gatherings, a 90-year-old Hindu temple in Johor Baru decided to feature a sports carnival as well to attract youths.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple chairman S. Ramalingam said the temple in Taman Universiti has observed the harvest festival for decades.
“We expect about 500 devotees, including those living in nearby residential areas to join us. On the final day of the festival, we will be holding a sports carnival,” he said.
He said younger devotees have also shown greater interest with the temple set to hold its main celebration on Sunday.
“We are happy to see more young people joining and learning about the meaning of Ponggal,” he said.
The four-day celebrations are one of the most important festivals in the Tamil calendar.
The first day, known as Bhogi, honours Lord Indra, the God of Rain, and marks the discarding of old belongings as a symbolic cleansing.
The second day is Surya Ponggal, dedicated to nature and the sun, during which the iconic boiling of sweet rice takes place.
The third day is Mattu Ponggal, which pays tribute to cattle for their role in agriculture. Cows and bulls are bathed, adorned and fed as part of the thanksgiving ceremony.
The festival ends with Kaanum Ponggal, a day for visiting relatives, strengthening family ties and celebrating community unity.
