Festivities honouring our animals!

Discussion in 'Pets and Animal Lovers' started by Sriniketan, Jan 17, 2011.

  1. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Hi friends,

    On the 3rd day of Pongal/Makarashanranthi, in Tamil Nadu we dedicate this day to the cattle..and that's why it is called 'Maattu Pongal" (literally means Bull/cow Pongal)

    This is kind of a Thanksgiving festival to the farm animals, without their help, the farmers cannot work, and in turn, we wouldn't enjoy the food on our plates, everyday.

    On this day, the bulls and cows are given rest and are given pride of place. They are washed, their horns painted, with a shining metal cap on top of it. Multi-colored beads, bells, colorful garlands, sheaves of corn are tied around their neck and are taken around the town, where people pray respect to the cows, by touching cows' feet and forehead and show aarthi.. offer food to them.

    Bulls have their own share of pride...this is shown in the form of a play called 'Jalli kattu" where bundles of money were tied to the horns of bulls, and those who can get the bull and tame it..claims that money and in those ancient days, this act is considered as the act of valour to win the hands of the beautiful girls ..:hiya:

    This sport is popular in Madurai, Thanjavur and Thirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.

    It is a fitting festival, isn't it...!

    Come and share any other such festivities that honours our animals and we would be glad to know about them ..:)

    sriniketan
     
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  2. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Kanu Pidi This time it is the birds turn, particularly the crows:

    This is also celebrated on the same day of the Maatu pongal.

    On this day, women folk in the family, give colored cooked rice in the form of pidis (one closed handful) in a turmeric leaf and offer fruits as an offering to the birds and offer prayers to them, and ask for strong family-ties between brothers and sisters in the family (just as in the family of crows)

    sriniketan
     
  3. keethi

    keethi Silver IL'ite

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    Hi Sriniketan,

    The kanu pidi in village will be celebrated very great.People will cook food and take them to the river nearby.There will be a temple accompanied by river mostly.So they share among themselves the food.:)
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2011
  4. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Is this called the Kaanum Pongal,(visiting friends and relatives) Keethi?
    Shed some light on this :)

    sriniketan
     
  5. keethi

    keethi Silver IL'ite

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    Hi Sriniketan,

    Exactly the kanum pongal.The day after pongal.All people from a village go to the river bank and they will take things like banana leaves,pooja items,food items like kalandha sadham ie previous day chakarai pongal,venpongal.They will form rounds of those rice and keep one by one on the leaf.A song will be sung which many of you would be familiar rite? The song is Kaka podi vechen,kannu podi vechen,kaka kootam pola enga kootamum kalaya dhirukanum.Praying for brothers to be well,good and united.Then brothers who are outstation will send some money like Rs.51 to their sisters.My mother's brother is sending this every year.And i am also getting from my brother.:)This is what I do on this day.:thumbsup
     
  6. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Very true Keethi...happy to know that you and your mother receive 'seer' from your brothers..same is with my mother too, she receives from her 2 brothers and as I don't have any brothers..my cousins are giving me that seer...:biggrin2:

    sriniketan
     
  7. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Naga Panchami

    Next in this line, is the festival where snakes are worshipped.
    This festival usually falls on the 5th day after the Amavasya in the month of Shravana (according to the lunar calendar)

    There are many legends that relates to this:
    1. Lord Krishna's Kaliya Nardhanam ( Lord Krishna danced on the snake Kaliya) took place on this day.

    2. One farmer accidentally killed the baby serpents in his land, while ploughing..as a result of this..mother snake got angry and killed the family of the farmer, except one girl, who worshipped Nagas...because of her devotion to the snakes, her entire family come alive.

    It is believed that snakes never bite the members of the family, who worship them.

    3. One mythology states, Kathmandu valley was a large lake, but people drained it to make way for their settlements. This made the snakes which lived there angry...
    To protect themselves from the wrath of the snakes, people offered certain pilgrimage destinations to them which restored harmony of nature.

    In Nepal, Nepalese have their own mythology surrounding this celebration. On this day, they post snake pictures above the doors of their homes, which they believe would ward off evil spirits. They offer prayers, milk and honey in their fields for the snakes.
    Men in demon masks go around the city as a part of their ritual.

    In the South, on this day, married women take head bath, go to the ant-hill (where snakes usually reside), offer prayers and sprinkle milk and pray for the well-being of their brothers and their family. It is like the Rakshabandhan of the South. :)
    If there is no ant-hill, they offer milk and prayers to the snake statues erected in the nearby temples and take a portion of the milk as a prasad to the house and give it to the family members. They invite their brothers and their families and perform aarthi for their well-being.
     

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