One of the oldest and most colorful festivals that are celebrated across the country is Makar Sankranti. As per Hindu mythology, Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of an auspicious phase (Initiation of the Sun’s movement towards the north). The Sun enters the zodiac sign Capricorn or Makar and hence it was given the name Makar Sankranti.
In Tamil Nadu, the harvest festival is celebrated as a thanks-giving one and is called Pongal. The word in the Tamil language means to boil and rise (Pongu). As the sweet dish made on this day is made of rice and milk which boils and overflows, the dish too is called Pongal.
The celebrations are cut across four days. Each day has its own significance _ First day is called Bhogi, the second is Pongal (Surya Pongal) and the third day is Maatu Pongal (cows are worshipped) and the fourth day is Kannum Pongal (Day to meet your near and dear ones).
On the first day, farmers celebrate Lord Indira. They thank him for ringing in prosperity and wealth with his steady and timely stream of bounteous rain. With the passing of every year, farmers believe in throwing away the negativity of the previous year. Therefore, people discard the old and embrace the new. Even household items, if they do not serve their purpose anymore, are burnt early in the morning on that day. They then worship their sandal-smeared ploughs and other farm equipment.
With Pongal just around the corner, cleaning assumes a lot of importance in every household.
Kitchen: Cooking is an integral part of the festival. People take time off to clean every nook and corner of the kitchen before the festival. From the plastic items in the kitchen cupboard to the old bottles everything is emptied, cleaned and replaced with clean ones. The kitchen top and chimney too are cleaned. If possible, book a cleaning service to make them sparkle.
Hall: Clean up the hall and throw away unwanted items. Dust the tables, and chairs and replace the cushions. You can wipe the artifacts and shelves of the showcase to make them shine. For that fresh feel, vacuum the furniture, and change the cushion covers and curtains/blinds to give your hall a new look.
Bedrooms: Cleaning the bedrooms is easier if you have had the habit of dusting or vacuuming your wardrobes and dressing tables often. If you have a work desk in your bedroom, it needs to be addressed too as most of us have been working from home for the last two years. Change the rug, clean the furniture and why not add a succulent to the table?
Pooja Room: This room needs to be spruced up properly as poojas will be performed there for the next three days. Take out all your brass lamps, incense holders, plates and other pooja items. Soak them in tamarind water overnight and then clean them with lemon water the next day. They are sure to shine like gold. Photo frames and other idols need to be dusted and smeared with fresh sandal paste so that they are all ready for the grand pooja.
Bathrooms: With several offers from home service providers, hiring someone to clean the bathrooms is easy. However, ensure that you include mirrors, washbasins, faucets, and shower and shower partitions in the cleaning requirement list. You can change the shower curtains, and replace the soap and shower gel holders to give it a new look.
Is that all? After all this cleaning, we need to beautify our homes with a dab of fresh paint and flowers. Tie a garland of mango leaves at the entrance and decorate the porch with marigold garlands and rose flowers. Heighten the festivities with a patch of rangoli in front of the house.
All these measures are sure to drive away negativity and ring in positivity. Happy Pongal !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
