Pongal is a four-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated in the south Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It marks the start of the end of the winter season. It's a bit like New Year's and spring cleaning rolled into one. People clean their houses, discard old items and wear new clothes.
We celebrated with a big shindig for all the consulate folks, including local staff and their families. The symbol of Pongal, a sugarcane tripod with a pot full of Pongal, a rice porridge dish. It's cooked in the sun, to give thanks for the harvest and to recognize the sun for the bounty it makes possible.
It's not a party until the ox horns are decorated. Dosas, another rice-based dish and South Indian delicacy, were also featured.
It's also not a party until something starts spinning, be it clay pots or cotton candy. Messy hands abound!
Another Indian tradition: getting your fortune told through tarot-like cards. The twist? Having a parrot choose the cards. The beak knows.
hey james, can you send me that pic you took of little o picking out bangles? thanks!
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