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Thai Pongal -a celebration of nature’s bounty
Thai Pongal -the festival of farmers’ thanks at the first paddy harvest, includes worship to the Sun God and thanksgiving to cattle- is celebrated by the Hindu Tamil population.
This year Thai Pongal was celebrated country-wide on Friday (15) with a state-sponsored programme held in Jaffna attracting large crowds.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and his wife along with a number of Ministers participated in the festivities in Jaffna.
As the festival approached, Colombo’s population too joined in showcasing banana and mango leaf decorations. Colourful flower decorations were also displayed in Kovils, homes and shops.
Prior to the festival the city was crowded with shoppers seeking sugarcane, an essential item in the celebration and other essentials required for the occasion.
One of the marked differences this time around was that Mango leaves, banana leaves and herbs which are an essential part of the festivities were seen on sale… and people flocking to buy them at a prices starting at Rs. 2 a bunch.
Kathiravelu Govindaraj a city dweller said this contrasted sharply to the days when these items were easily available in the neighbourhood.
However with rapid urbanisation taking place, people are now forced to go to market to purchase even items like mango leaves, he said.
Shoppers crowded the market places in Colombo
Crowds of shoppers seen buying sugar cane for the Thai Pongal festival
Even decorations normally made at home are now on sale in Colombo
Mango leaves which were a common sight in Colombo in earlier times, have become a rarity and were being sold on the pavements of Colombo