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SIX MAIN FESTIVALS OF TAMIL NADU
Tamil Nadu, celebrates festivals very nicely which appears to be a colourful sight. Attractive decorations on the streets, traditional music at temples, and marvellous festive foods cooked at homes makes the place very festive. The wonderful processions of Tamil Nadu’s show its rich cultural heritage.
Some of the main festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu are as follows:
1. Pongal
The “Harvest Festival” of Tamil Nadu also known as Pongal is one of the most celebrated festivals among all others. The four-day festival, happening in January, marks an end to the harvest season. It is named after the traditional dish, Pongal, made from freshly harvested rice, milk, and jaggery, cooked in a clay pot. Pongal is the time when families come together to thank the Sun God and gorge on festive food.
2. Tamil New Year (Puthandu)
The Tamil New Year is celebrated on the 14th of April and is actually the commencement of the Tamil calendar year. This is a festival of Tamil Nadu, whereby the Tamilians could renew themselves, and so it is celebrated with great fervour. Traditional dishes such as vadai and payasam are prepared specially during this occasion.
3. Mahamaham
One of the bigger Hindu festivals, Mahamaham is conducted once every 12 years in the temple town of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. This festival occurs in the month of Megha, February/March, and is celebrated in honour of goddess Mahamaheswari.
The devotees hold the belief that during this time, a holy dip in the sacred tank of Mahamaham washes away sins and brings spiritual merit.
4. Margazhi Festival
The Margazhi Festivals of Tamil Nadu, is celebrated for a month during December and January. This festival is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and concerts and dance recitals are conducted in temples and cultural centers all across Tamil Nadu, with some of the finest forms of traditional Bharatnatyam, Carnati music, and Nadaswaram. The Margazhi Festivals of Tamil Nadu is a celebration of classical arts and its promotion by inviting artists and lovers of the art from everywhere.
5. Thaipusam
Thaipusam is celebrated during the months of January and February and it forms a significant festival of Tamil Nadu, celebrated by the Tamils, Hindu by faith. This festival is conducted in the honour of lord Murugan, the son of Lord Shiva. It commemorates the victorious joy occasioned by his conquering the demon Soorapadam. Devotees carry “Kavadi” (decorated burdens) as an offering to Lord Murugan. Colourful processions, piercing rituals, and songs in devotion are part of the festival activities. Thaipusam assumes special grandeur in the Murugan temples of Tamil Nadu and is truly an awesome spectacle of faith and devotion.
6. Navaratri and Vijayadashami
A nine-night festival called as Navaratri in Tamil Nadu is celebrated with a lot of devotion. September or October is dedicated to the worship of the goddess Durga. Fasting, prayers, and dance brings a festive mood to the festival. Navaratri means victory of good over evil. On this day, grand processions and cultural troupes with the burning of effigies signify righteousness.
“OM SRI NAVARATRI NAYAKIYE NAMO NAMAHA”
COMPILED BY
R. HARISHANKAR