India is a land of diverse culture.We also know alongwith the different cultures come numerous festival sspreading across the calendar. Before we're done celebrating one, another comes right around the corner. 

Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated in TamilNadu. The farmers express their gratitude to the sun which symbolizes the festival. People show their gratitude by offering cooked rice to the almighty. During this festival families come together exchanging wishes for a good year and health. They wish each other good times, happiness, peace and prosperity 

The first day of pongal is called bhogi, it is celebrated in the honour of Lord Indra, the Hindu god of thunder. The ritual of Bhogi Mantalu is when useless items of the house are tossed into a bonfire traditionally made of cowdung cakes and wood. 

The second day of pongal is called Thai pongal. A special ritual is performed where rice and milk is boiled together in a earthen pot to which a turmeric plant is tied out in the open as an offering to sun God. Along with this, sticks of sugarcane, coconuts and bananas are also offered. On this day people usually draw kolams or rangoli's at their doorstep. 

The third day-Pongal is the day celebrated in the name of cows. The cattle are adorned with bells, sheaves of corn and garlands and worshipped. Legend has it that Lord Shiva had once sent his bull,Basava, to earth with a message for the mortals, asking them to have an oil massage and bath daily, and to eat once a month. Basava, however, mistakenly announced Shiva has asked people to eat daily and have an oil bath once a month. Enraged, Shiva banished Basava to the earth forever, cursing he would have to plough the fields to help people produce more food.  Hence,the association of this day to cattle. 

The fourth day - Kaanum(orKanu) Pongal marks the last day of Pongal. On this day, a ritual is performed where the left over sweet Pongal and other food are setout in the courtyard on a washed turmeric leaf, along with betel leaves, betelnuts and sugarcane. Women of the household carry out this ritual in the name of their brothers, asking for their prosperity. People also take this day to go on outings with their family