Thai Pongal, also known as Pongal, is a popular harvest festival celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu with great devotion and fanfare. The festival of Thai Pongal is dedicated to Surya God or Surya Dev and coincides with Makar Sankranti. Thai Pongal is observed in the month of Thai according to the Tamil solar calendar and usually falls on January 14 or 15 in the Gregorian calendar. Thai Pongal 2025 falls on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. The Thai Pongal Sankranti Moment is at 09:03 AM on the same day. Pongal is a four days festival and the most important day of Pongal is known as Thai Pongal. In this article, let’s know more about the Thai Pongal 2025 date, celebrations and the significance of the harvest festival of Tamilians. Pongal 2025 Dates: Why Is Pongal Celebrated? Bhogi Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Other Traditions, Rituals, Delicious Recipes and More To Know About the Harvest Festival in Tamil Nadu. 

Thai Pongal which is the second day of the four days festivity is also celebrated as Sankranti. The same day is observed as Makar Sankranti in North Indian states when people take a holy dip in the river Ganges. The festival of Thai Pongal is celebrated over three or four days with Bhogi, Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kanum Pongal, which are celebrated on consecutive days. Pongal 2025 School Holidays: Tamil Nadu and Telangana Declare Sankaranti Holiday To Celebrate Harvest Festival. 

Thai Pongal 2025 Date

Thai Pongal 2025 falls on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

Thai Pongal Rituals

Thai Pongal day is celebrated by boiling freshly harvested rice with fresh milk and jaggery in a new clay pot. While boiling it, people let the milk spill over the pot as an auspicious sign of abundance and prosperity. Later, the concoction of rice, milk and jaggery, known as Pongal, is topped with brown sugar, Ghee, cashew nuts and raisins.

Freshly cooked Pongal is first offered to the Sun God as a gratitude for good harvest and later served on banana leaves to the people at home for the ceremony. Farmers express gratitude to the Sun God, rain, and cattle for their role in agriculture.

Thai Pongal Significance

Thai Pongal is derived from two words, ‘Thai’ referring to the tenth month of the Tamil calendar and ‘Pongal’ meaning ‘boiling over’ or ‘overflow’. Pongal also refers to a sweet dish of rice boiled in milk and jaggery that is ritually prepared and consumed on the day. The main theme of Pongal is thanking the sun god Surya, the nature and the farm animals that are related to agriculture.

The festival is mentioned in an inscription in the Viraraghava temple attributed to the Chola king Kulottunga I (1070–1122 CE), which describes a grant of land to the temple for celebrating the annual Pongal festivities.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 14, 2025 06:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).