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Sakkarai Pongal

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TAS Vijayaraghavan • January 15, 1999 


I wish all members a Happy New Year and a Happy Pongal.
I understood Sriman Man's question about preparing pongal or sarkkaraip
pongal in our home during these days in margazhi. In our traditions, we
don't prepare sarkkaraip pongal but ksheerannam (of course it is
emphaiszed with paal ksheerannam although paal and ksheera are the
same!) on the day of koodaarai vellum during margazhi which I think is
to match with the "paarsORu....moodanei peithu muzhangai
vazhivaara......"

We prepare veNpongal on the day of maalE maNivaNNa not puLiyOdharai and
of course dhadhiyOnnam on karavaigaL pin senRu.

The question still would be why we make Pongal during margazhi month. My
humble submissions are:
1. To coincide with the Thai Pongal.
2. The rice prepared with the combination of pepper, jeera etc. is found
to be of medicinal value especially during cold days like margazhi days
when we get up early in the morning for nityaanNusanthaanam.

adiyEn madhrakavidhaasan
T.A.S.Vijayaraghavan