Pongal 2021 Pon gal ( po ṅkal பொங்கல்) is a Tamil harvest festival. It falls on January 14th in most years, and on January 15th in some years. This is the day of winter solstice according to the sidereal solar calendar ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_year ). Pon gal falls on the same day as Makara Sankranti in other regions of the Indian subcontinent. In the Tamil calendar, Pongal is the first day of the month of Thai ( tai தை). Many Tamil people consider it the new year's day. Others celebrate the new year on April 14th (13th in leap years), the first day of the Chittirai (சித்திரை) month. But whatever be the case, Pongal is definitely the bigger celebration, and is an important cultural symbol for Tamil people the way Onam is for Malayalis. Every Tamilian celebrates Pongal, irrespective of which community they belong to. It is a Tamil festival rather than a religious one. Given that it is a celebration of newness, it makes perfect sense to me t...
