Thai Pongal
தைப் பொங்கல்
14 Jan – 17 Jan 2027
மார்கழி 30 14 JanAcross Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu's four-day harvest festival at the start of the month of Thai: Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal.
Bhogi Jan 14, Thai Pongal Jan 15, Mattu Pongal Jan 16 (Drik Panchang, Chennai); Kaanum Pongal Jan 17. The Tamil Nadu government holiday list for 2027 is usually published in November.
Thai Pongal marks the first day of the Tamil month of Thai and thanks the sun, the land and cattle for the harvest. It is celebrated in every town and village and runs over four days.
- Bhogi – homes are cleaned and old items discarded; in many places a small bonfire is lit before dawn.
- Thai Pongal – new rice is boiled with milk and jaggery in a new pot, outdoors and facing the sun. When it boils over, families call out "Pongalo Pongal". Doorsteps carry large kolams, and sugarcane, turmeric plants and banana leaves decorate the pot.
- Mattu Pongal – cattle are bathed, their horns painted and garlanded, and fed sweet pongal. In Madurai district this is also the season of jallikattu.
- Kaanum Pongal – a day for visiting relatives and outings; beaches, parks and temples are crowded.
The Tamil Nadu government observes Pongal, Thiruvalluvar Day and Uzhavar Thirunal (farmers' day) as public holidays. For a visitor, villages and smaller towns show the festival best: sugarcane stacked at markets, kolams on every street and pongal cooked in the open air.
Good to know
- Many Chennai residents travel home for Pongal: book trains and buses as early as possible, and expect highways out of the city to be busy.
- Shops and offices close for two to three days; plan meals and cash in advance in smaller towns.
- If you are invited into a home, remove footwear at the door and accept the sweet pongal offered; it is served on a banana leaf.
- Bhogi bonfires can affect air quality in Chennai on the morning of Bhogi; avoid early-morning drives if visibility is low.
- Beaches and parks are very crowded on Kaanum Pongal; keep children close and follow police barricades.
