Happy Sankranti !

Sankranti, known as Pongal by the Tamils of South India, is the only Hindu festival to follow the solar calendar and begins the 6-month journey of "daytime" for the Gods. This ancient 4-day harvest festival begins with casting off of old unnecessary goods, and cleaning house. We celebrated "Bhogi" by ditching our responsibilities and climbed Chamundi Hill, and met this pilgrim in the middle of the 1000+ steps. There were monkeys scattered throughout the journey, and actually outnumbered the visitors we saw on the stairs. Surya Pongal is day two, and this Sun-Day is when the celebrations really begin. Women rise early to make extra-special rice-flour designs, or Kollams, outside their doors. This is meant to be a peace offering to pests and a symbol-filled yantra to represent the overflowing rice pots that are, well, literally overflowing in the kitchen. Walking around the neighborhood I was entranced looking at the colors, like driving around to see Holiday lights. Mattu Pongal is day three. This is the day for cows. They get to eat first, get washed first, and they are the first to get painted. I didn't have a camera in time to catch the "rainbow-bull" but later there were a few lemon cows around. This one had purple horns. Some villages have bullfighting on this day, in the city we just bet on them. Kaanum Pongal is day 4, and is another solar day. Families are foremost for this day. I guess after walking your cow in a parade all day, you just want to kick back on the fourth day. That's what I'll do tomorrow, cow or no cow.

--- aeryk ---