Reconstructions after cyclone Thane
Pongal is perhaps the most important festival in South India, we celebrate the new season starting after months of monsoon when the days are often cloudy and dark. But the rains benefit to the fields where the paddy* was just planted and quickly grow [This time, the rains were more abundantand late than normal, with the result that the paddy was partly lying in the fields, damaging the crop!]. Pongal is the traditional harvesting time.
Volontariat celebrates Pongal at TTK farm, with the participation of the children of Nila Illam and Souriya, those at least who has no families where to go for the four days holiday, and with many foreign invitees: god-fathers or mothers visiting their sponsored children and new friends of Volontariat.
For Pongal, we bought two news terracota pots where the rice of the first field harvested in Touttipakkam has to be cooked.
The ceremony starts by a “puja” to thank the Supreme being of all the Hindus, Christians or people of any religion (or atheist), then the pots were starting to overflow which is the signal for the festivities: dancing and singing around the cooking place. Everybody shows his happiness. Later, the first rice is shared among all the participants, as an auspicious sign for the new year.
* ”Paddy” is the plant whose seed is the rice.
