Kaanum Pongal

Kaanum Pongal or Kanum Pongal (Tamil: காணும் பொங்கல்) is the fourth and the final day of the four-day Pongal festival.[1] According to the Gregorian calendar it is celebrated on 17 January.[2] Though the name of the festival is specific to Tamil Nadu, it is also celebrated in other southern Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as the festival is significantly popular in South India. The day of Kaanum Pongal is often acknowledged as the Thiruvalluvar Day in remembrance of the great historic Tamil writer, poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar who was known for writing the world famous Thirukural.[3] The day is also popularly treated as the sightseeing day as well as the Thanksgiving day. People believe Kaanum Pongal is an auspicious day to arrange marriage proposals and to kick start new bonds and relationships.

Kaanum Pongal
காணும் பொங்கல்
Observed byTamil people
TypeTamil festival
SignificanceThanksgiving for cattle, ancestors and farming livestock, visiting relatives houses
CelebrationsFeasting
DateThird day of the month of Thai in the Tamil calendar
2021 date16 January

Naming and celebrations

The word Kaanum means 'viewing and seeing'. Kaanum Pongal is the day of relaxation and enjoyment and it implies that people spend their time by arranging family trips, picnics, visiting neighbours and relatives houses.[4] In the state of Andhra Pradesh, the festival is earmarked and celebrated as Mukkanuma and the auspicious festival is observed in Andhra by worshipping the cattle. In the state of Tamil Nadu, the day of Kanum Pongal is also referred to as Virgin Pongal or Kanni Pongal, the word Kanni implies virgin/maiden/unmarried girl. Unmarried girls celebrate the festival by playing at the river banks and pray the god to have successful matrimonial life. Kanni Pongal is celebrated coinciding Kaanum Pongal for the wellbeing of unmarried women and for the fertility.[5]

Kaanum Pongal is treated similar to the Raksha Bandhan as women offer special prayers towards the Sun god for the wellbeing of their brothers and as per the customs and traditions, women visit the brothers places.

References
  1. "தமிழகம் முழுவதும் களைக்கட்டும் காணும் பொங்கல் கொண்டாட்டம்..!". News18 Tamil. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  2. "Kaanum Pongal 2020 ,Kaanum Pongal 2020 Date ,Karinaal or Thiruvalluvar Day 2020 Date". www.astroved.com. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  3. "Thiruvalluvar Day - Kanum Pongal, Fourth Day of Pongal". www.pongalfestival.org. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  4. "10,000 police personnel to be on bandobust duty in Chennai for Kaanum Pongal". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 16 January 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 January 2020.CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. "Kaanum Pongal and Kanni Pongal". Retrieved 17 January 2020.
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