Pongal is the four-day Tamil harvest festival that opens Thai, the month tradition holds to be the most auspicious of the year — *Thai pirandhal vazhi pirakkum*, when Thai is born a way will open. Thai Pongal is the same solar moment as Makar Sankranti, the Sun’s entry into Makara, so it holds to 14 or 15 January while the lunar festivals roam across weeks.
How it is observed
The eve is Bhogi, when old things are burnt and the house is cleared out. On Thai Pongal itself rice is boiled with the new jaggery in a clay pot until it rises and spills over the rim — the moment the household calls out *Pongalo Pongal*. Mattu Pongal thanks the cattle that did the ploughing, and Kaanum Pongal is spent visiting family.
Pongal 2028 runs for 3 days, from Jan 15, 2028 – Jan 17, 2028.
What else is Pongal called?
Pongal is also known as Thai Pongal, Pongal Pandigai, Bhogi, Mattu Pongal, Kaanum Pongal. These are regional names and spellings for the same festival.