Ponggalo oh Ponggal

For many, the real peak for the Ponggal ceremony was when the sweetened rice boils over.

But for me, it was when Siva starts singing.

Wow! Hehe…


Ponggal (means “boiling over” in Tamil) or harvest festival will mark the end of an old and beginning of a new year. Normally the festival is celebrated for four days, namely Bhogi, veetu ponggal, mattu ponggal and finally kanni ponggal.

Most of the local community will celebrate the main and second day, whereby the family pays tributes to mother Earth for the bounty. While many argues that the festival are equivalent of Thanksgiving, I think it looks more like a Gawai, where our Dayak natives celebrate their very own harvest festival.


I was told that in India, Ponggal ceremony actually held in the paddy fields, instead of in the house compound. But then the farmers usually live nearby the fields, anywhere.

When rice, means life.


Soon after the “boiling over” session, praying will start firstly by the man of the family, followed by mother and finally down the last youngest member of the family. Very much like the Chinese’s praying sequence, where respect and honor will be given to the elders.


The whole setting will be left for a while, as we believe the god will appreciate our offering. Again, we, because Chinese keeps the same practices during praying ceremony. We even have simple Q&A session to seek confirmation from our ancestors or gods that they have “consumed” those foods, before our turn.


I’ll be amazed by the beautiful rangoli drawings on the floor every time I am here for any celebration. This particular rangoli drawn with flour seems much simpler than those arranged with colored rice. It starts with coordinating simple dots, as the final design pattern will be formed circulating those dots.

Sounds simple enough, if Jambu and Elisa stop licking those flour away! Well, dog year is coming…


Back in the house, we are being seated for - - what else, food!!! My all time favorite, really. Our feast starts with sweetened rice with groundnuts, followed by puttu mayam served with delicious dal gravy.

And I enjoyed Ama’s coffee, strange thing is I was never a coffee lover. To share the same dining table with Apa was certainly a great experience, any given time. He would share some real interesting stories about Indian culture, his experience in India, or almost anything we wish to know.

Nandri - - Apa, Ama and everyone!!!


Just before I bid farewell to Siva I had a quick glance at their calendar. As expected I found the Gregorian and Tamil date printed with some Tamil writing. To my suprise the calendar that Ama insist to have for every New Year also includes a muslim date!


Late evening I found myself hanging around some bakery shop at Sri Damansara. I was with fellow SCI-Malaysia’s President, Nurul, getting some hand-gift before attending a memorial dinner for John’s beloved mother.

My attention goes neither to the “Please No Helmet” sign, nor Nurul’s ever smiling and cheerful face. It was the red-and-gold deco on the door that reminds me of the next BIG festival is on the way.