Hundreds gather at Windsor Hindu Mandir to celebrate Pongal
A ritual, referred to as a fire puja, is practiced inside Windsor’s Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre to mark Pongal festivities on Jan. 15, 2023. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)
Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at Windsor's Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre to celebrate the harvest festival known as Pongal.
Celebrated over four days, Pongal marks the start of the Tamil month called Thai, considered to be an auspicious month.
Pongal is also the name of a food item which is made by boiling a mix of rice and milk. When it overflows out of the pot, it is meant to signify all of the negativity of the past year being washed away with it.
The festival, considered a celebration of prosperity and good fortune, consists of fire ceremonies, religious prayers, dancing and lots of food.
"It is celebrated by Tamil people throughout the world and in the Indian subcontinent. It is celebrated by other communities also. It's a harvest festival," said Sivaram Arumugam, member of the Windsor Tamil Community group.
"This is a very old tradition that is being carried on from generation to generation."
Pongal festivities serve as an opportunity to thank farmers for putting food on the table.
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