In Tamil Nadu, preparation for the
harvest festival begins days—sometimes weeks—before the auspicious Pongal
morning. The festival is not merely celebrated; it is prepared for with
reverence, following age-old customs that bind nature, home, and community into
a single sacred rhythm.
Well ahead of the festival, homes
undergo a thorough annual cleansing. Decluttering is the first ritual—unwanted
items are discarded, broken tools repaired, and storage spaces reorganised.
This is followed by meticulous dusting, scrubbing, and washing of every corner
of the house. In many rural homes, minor repairs are carried out, and walls are
freshly whitewashed, restoring a sense of purity and renewal. The house, like
the people within it, is readied to welcome abundance.
Decorations begin only two or
three days before the festival, as most adornments are made from natural fibres
and fresh green elements. Mango leaves, symbols of prosperity and fertility,
are strung together as festoons and tied across doorways and verandahs. These
vibrant green toranas sway gently in the breeze, announcing that the house is
prepared for celebration.
Another essential decorative
element is Thayampoo—delicate, dry yellow flower leaves—used generously along
walls, entrances, and pooja spaces. The fragrance of dried flora mingles with
the earthy scent of freshly cleaned floors.
No Tamil festival is complete
without kolam (rangoli). At dawn, women of the household draw intricate designs
using rice flour, a symbolic offering to birds, insects, and unseen beings.
Natural colours are used, and the kolams are bordered with Semmannu, the
special red soil paste that lends a striking contrast and ritual significance.
Kolams bloom not only on the doorstep but also along the street in front of the
house, inside the home, and especially in the pooja room—transforming the
entire space into a living canvas of devotion.
Standing tall and proud as the hero
of the season is the sugarcane. Fresh, green sugarcane stalks—complete with
roots—are tied to pillars and doorways. Their height, sweetness, and resilience
symbolise the success of the harvest and the farmer’s bond with the land.
Flowers take centre stage during
Pongal. The pooja room glows with garlands of jasmine, marigold, and
kanakambaram adorning framed photographs of gods and goddesses, idols, and clay
representations of deities. Every woman in the household weaves fresh flowers
into her hair, her plait shimmering with fragrance and colour—an everyday act
elevated into a ritual of beauty and tradition.
Seasonal crops play a sacred role
in the décor and rituals. Fresh turmeric rhizomes, bright yellow with broad
green leaves and roots intact, are tied to the mud pots in which Pongal will be
cooked. This turmeric, symbolising auspiciousness and fertility, is later
distributed among women in the neighbourhood, strengthening bonds of kinship
and community.
As dawn breaks on festival days, earthen
lamps are lit in and around the house—on thresholds, along walls, near windows,
and especially beside the Tulsi plant, if one grows in the courtyard. The soft
glow of oil lamps dispels darkness and invites divine grace.
Outside, nature too is tended to
with care. Trees and plants are trimmed, climbers are supported with sticks and
ropes, and the garden is gently shaped—not forced, but guided—reflecting the
harmonious relationship between rural life and the natural world.
Thus, the decoration of a home for
the harvest festival in Tamil Nadu is not about ornamentation alone. It is a
celebration of earth, effort, gratitude, and continuity—a living tradition
where every leaf, lamp, line of kolam, and stalk of sugarcane tells the story
of rural life, resilience, and reverence for nature.
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