“Pongal is a festival of thanksgiving, festival of harvest and festival of unity.”
Thai Pongal is the greatest festival celebrated in Tamil Nādu. It’s a festival of thanksgiving to the five elements of earth i.e EARTH, WATER, FIRE, SKY and AIR.
Pongal is a four-day festival beginning with Bhogi which means cleaning and discarding the old belongings and celebrating a fresh new start.
The second day is the Surya Pongal which means thanking the Sun God. On this day, people prepare delicious Sweet Pongal out of Rice and Jaggery which means ‘to boil, overflow’. Even people decorate their threshold with ‘Kolams’.
The third day is the Mattu Pongal which is dedicated to ‘Bull’ as they contribute to the bountiful harvest. The cattle are bathed, their horns are painted and decorated with flower garlands and bells.
The fourth day is the Kaanum Pongal which means meeting and greeting of relatives, friends and neighbours. Villagers cut and consume farm fresh sugarcane on their gatherings. On this day, young ones seek blessings from elders.
The students of St Britto’s Academy celebrated PONGAL THIRUNAAL with great enthusiasm. The theme of the celebration is “THAMIZHAR VALVIYELE PANPADU / PAN PADU”. Students of Grades KG – IX and XI were involved to perform their inner talents.
Hrithic, Tamilselvan, Renulekha and Prajitha stole the show through their compering.
The festive commenced with a Prayer Song by Joshitha & Hrithica followed by Bible Reading by Alfida and Prayer by Felicia. Everyone was welcomed to the Pongal celebration by Kanishka through her welcome speech.
Brightness was brought through the lighting of Diya by our Principal, our Vice-Principal and our Tamil teachers.
About Pongal was beautifully expressed in English by Ria and Poem was beautifully recited by Sajitha.
Various competitions were organized such as: The students of Grade KG-II along with their parents represented them in ethnic wear. Students joyfully participated in breaking a ‘Tumble Tower’, drew a ‘Flower Kolam’ and painting a ‘Pot’. The Students of Grade III-V amazed everyone with creative CHARIOT. Nattupura Song was sung by them. Mayilattam dance was a fantabulous performance by them. Every kite was a unique piece by kids. Student of grade X, Dharshini spoke about an important person ‘Thiruvalluvar’ on his day. The celebration continued with traditional dance ‘Kummi’ and ‘Folk Dance’ by Grade VI-VIII. On this auspicious day, celebration without ‘Sweet Pongal’ is not possible. So, students participated in Engal Veetu Pongal and prepared mouth-watering ‘PONGAL’. The students actively participated in drawing Kolams which was eye-catching. On this festive celebration, recollecting the traditional attire, recipe, culture and customs among the students have gained the true meaning of PONGAL.
Hari Krishna of grade I proposed the vote of thanks. First and foremost, he showed his gratitude to the sun, nature and cattle for their enormous contribution in our lives. Further, he appreciated the effort taken by the students to perform their best and thanked the teachers for their guidance and support. He also thanked the management. Finally, he thanked the parents for watching this program.
Learning Outcome:
- To know the importance of festivals
- To understand the culture and traditions
- To discover inner talents
- To create a holistic development
Specific Aim:-
- To enhance creativity skills
- To develop digital literacy
- To enhance leadership skills
- To enhance spiritual growth
- To enhance social skills
General Aim:-
- To know the importance of traditional festivals.
- To Spread unity and patriotism among the people.
- To avoid the modern use of equipment and tools.
- To realize the importance of earthen pots.
- To use eco-friendly materials.