INDIA CELEBRATES : THE HARVEST FESTIVAL

Come new year, the farmers across our country get ready to celebrate the most important festival, Pongal also known as Makkara Sankaranti, Lohri, Bihu in different parts of the country. This festival is celebrated around 14th January every year to mark the beginning of the spring season and new harvest.

Pongal is celebrated as the harvest festival of Tamilnadu, on 14th January every year. The pongal is celebrated every year beginning of the month of Thai as per the the Tamil calendar. It is celebrated for four days in the following names- Bhogi, Pongal, Maatu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal.

The 1st day is Bhogi Pongal.

Bhogi Pongal is celebrated by burning the old things, destroying the old items and welcoming the new ones. In the olden days, people burnt things which did not cause any harm to the environment -like things which were made of cotton, jute, wood, coconut or palm leaves unlike these days where people burn plastics and tyres which is quite harmful. 

The 2nd day is Surya Pongal.

Surya Pongal is observed to give gratitude to  the God Sun and the farmers for the food grains. Sweet Pongal is cooked on this day using raw rice, milk and jaggery. After preparation then, it is  offered to God and later people eat it with their families and friends. People chant  “Pongalo Pongal”.,When the milk boils while preparing Pongal. 

The 3rd day is Mattu Pongal day.

This is celebrated to thank the cows for giving us milk and bulls for helping us in farming. Jallikattu is practised in important places of Tamilnadu on this day.

The 4th day is Kaanum Pongal Day.

Kaanum means visiting. This is celebrated by people visiting their relatives and friends. Children get blessings from elders. Each family members enjoy a lot while playing games on this day such as reaking the pot, pulling the rope and so on.

Makara Sankranti

Makar Sankranti / Lohri/ Bihu is a major harvest festival marking the onset of spring season in India. Colourful and creative kites decorate the sky as they are flown high in the sky by children. The flying  kites symbolize the freedom from diseases like cold caused by winter. After a heavy lunch, which consists of dahi chuda, red pumpkin curry, and a sweet made from jaggery, sesame seeds and rice (showing unity); people join together to fly kites.

There will be an “kite show” on this day when some one cut others kite then they vowed to say“Phirko vet phirko”.People in Bengal dip their bodies in the Ganges to purify themselves. In Kerala it is said that if the milk spills over than pan, then it means that nature will offer everything in abundance. This festival also siginify the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab.

Playing tekeli bhonga (pot breaking) or stealing firewood for amusement or drumming the dhol or dancing the naati dance (Himachal Pradesh folk dance) or making a muggulu (colourful rangoli with coloured rice) or just decorating the cattle and parading it around; there are plenty of games to play on this day.

Bihu

India is said to be the land of farmers whose main job is agriculture. . This is the reason why most of the festivals and lifestyles are exclusively linked with agriculture. The main intention of these festivals is to raze the difference and spread love among neighbours and community.

People celebrates this day and be happy!, Vowed their regards for thankng to God and nature for the harvest and beautiful life ahead.

MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD STONEHENGE

Long back in the UK This circle of rocks is an reputed mysterious sites. The Historians and scientists get confused how its builders shifted the monoliths 5,000 years ago.

This set of stones laid out in concentric rings and horseshoe shapes on the empty Salisbury Plain is one of the oldest structures. At the age of 5,000 years Stonehenge is certainly the best preserved, megalithic (ancient stone) structure on Earth.

Know Amazing Facts about Stonehenge

• The biggest of the stones of Stonehenge known as sarsens are up to 30 feet tall and weigh 25 tons on average.
• It is a big stone monument siutaed on a chalky plain north of Salisbury, England.
• It is widely believed that they were brought from Marlborough Downs, which is at a distance of 32 kilometers to the north.
• While there have been many theories as to why Stonehenge was constructed, recent discoveries indicate that the landscape of Stonehenge was a sacred area, one that underwent constant changes.
• In 2019, Report says that some student from Newcastle University has solved the riddle when they discovered that humans (not aliens)  may have shifted he rocks in place using sledges lubricated with pig fat.

Shop: “The Mystery of the World Stonehenge“.