Pongal is a four-day harvest celebration. Different South Indian communities celebrate these four days in different ways. Most commonly, this festival falls in mid-January and is more of an ‘Indian Thanksgiving’.
During Pongal, people harvest crops that they have grown all year, such as rice, sugar cane, cereals, and turmeric. Also, they worship gods and celebrate with feasts. This celebration is even more vibrant in villages as well as some specific places in Tamil Nadu. Here, let’s witness the six best places to celebrate Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Coimbatore
Coimbatore people celebrate the Pongal rituals in an impressive way. Especially towns like Annur and Pollachi are known for their Pongal celebrations. Most South Indians, start the festival by cleaning and decorating their houses. At remote places, the Pongal celebration is more vibrant with colorful kolams, flowers, pandhal, and lighting. Moreover, Coimbatore and the road to Pollachi have many tourist destinations too. Thus you can have a memorable Pongal weekend amongst the greens of Pollachi. For a more crude experience, visit the neighboring temples and adjacent villages.
Theni
Theni is famous for its brilliant and rustic Pongal celebrations. Cardamom and cotton plantations are renowned in this place. Furthermore, this rustic place is located on the banks of the river Theni. This adds scenic beauty to the festival. Also, similar to other towns and villages, the Theni people also start their celebration with Bhogi and colorful Kolams. Here, you can also witness Jallikattu or Manju Virattu. Additionally, this scenic beauty has tourist attractions like Suruli Falls and Tiger Falls. You can also extend your trip further to see the Vaigai dam and Meghamalai hills.
Madurai
Madurai is the birthplace of temples, valor, and tradition. If you want to observe the traditional Pongal culture, then you must visit Madurai. The place is most famous for its bull-taming sport known as Jallikattu. Also, this sport takes place throughout Pongal in and around Madurai. Apart from that, Meenakshi Amman Temple, Gandhi Museum, and Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal are some architectural marvels in Madurai. Thus Madurai offers an authentic Pongal celebration with sports, food, and temples.
Salem
Salem is more of an industrial town in Tamil Nadu. The agricultural communities in and around Salem celebrate this harvest festival in a colorful way. One of the unique traditions pertaining to this place is the ‘Fox Darshan’. Here, a male member of the community goes to the forest and searches for a fox. The fox is brought to the villager’s gaze before being released back into the forest. Other events include the traditional Pongal preparations and cow worship over the three primary days. To witness such unique customs, visit the villages of Salem.
Tanjavur
Tanjore will remind us of the hypnotic beauty of the Chola period. During the Pongal celebrations, the area transforms into a vibrant place with adorned homes, flowers, and kolams. The place also has some famous and notable temples for your visit. In Tanjavur, an event to watch for is the Brihadeeshwara Temple’s Mattu Pongal celebration. Here, several cows are queued up for special puja at the temple. Thus it is a must-visit place if you want to spend this Maatu Pongal with a positive vibe.
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a must-visit place for Kaanum Pongal. In general, thousands of people visit Kanyakumari during Kaanum Pongal. The mightly Thiruvalluvar statue, Vivekananda rock memorial, and Vattakotai are places to look for. Also, the place has some ancient temples.
We’ve selected the best places to visit in Tamil Nadu this Pongal. Without any further delay, plan a quick Pongal trip to any of these places. Thus you can enjoy Pongal breaks with family as well as learn some cultural diversities. Have a joyous festive celebration!
