TN-PONGAL

Tamil harvest festival Pongal was

celebrated with usual fervour across the state Tuesday with

people ushering in the auspicious Tamil month of 'Thai'.

Chants of 'Pongal-o-Pongal' rent the air in many a home

as the milk boiled, symbolising the gushing of prosperity.

People decorated their homes with mango leaves and

strings of flowers.

Special prayers were held at temples.

This year, the AIADMK government had distributed gift

hampers containing raw rice, sugar, raisins, cashew nut,

cardamom and sugarcane to all card holders to celebrate the

harvest festival, in an attempt to mitigate the impact of

cyclone Gaja in the Cauvery delta and drought in the northern

districts.

The ingredients are used in the preparation of the

sweet delicacy 'Pongal'.

The K Palaniswami government had also provided Rs 1000

cash to all ration card holders on the occasion.

President Ramnath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister K

Palaniswami and DMK President and Leader of Opposition, MK

Stalin, greeted people on the occasion of the Pongal festival.

Purohit celebrated Pongal with the villagers of

Sathurangapattinam in Kanchipuram district while Palaniswami

took part in the festivities in his native Salem.

The famed bull-taming sport of jallikattu was also held

in Madurai coinciding with Pongal, with a number of eager

volunteers participating in it.

Meanwhile, Palaniswami greeted Purohit on the occasion.

"I have great pleasure in conveying my best wishes and

greetings to you, the first Lady and all the members of your

family for a very Happy Pongal and Sankaranthi," he said in a

message to the Governor.