Chennai/Puducherry, Jan 14(PTI) The harvest festival of'Pongal' was celebrated with traditional fervour across TamilNadu and neighbouring Puducherry today, with people preparingtraditional sweet rice and offering prayers to the Sun God.
Every street and locality was decked up with a fresh coatof 'kolam' (rangoli, drawings made of flour) welcoming theTamil month of 'Thai', the dawn of which is traditionallyviewed as a harbinger of new beginnings and prosperity.
Homes were decorated with mango leaves and strings offlowers as a mark of ushering in auspiciousness.
People offered special prayers at temples and exchangedgreetings.
Sweet rice (Pongal), made of jaggery or sugar with riceand milk, in a traditional mud pot, was offered to the Sun Godalong with pieces of sugarcane.
The food was also shared with relatives and neighbours.
Cinema halls drew huge crowds and almost all businessestablishments including retail outlets and the ubiquitous teastalls were shut as the festive mood took over.
Security has, meanwhile, been strengthened at severalplaces, including the Marina Beach here, where people throngin large numbers during the 'Kaanum Pongal' (when people go onan outing) festival on Tuesday.
Pongal is celebrated traditionally for four daysbeginning with Bogi, which was observed yesterday.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister KPalaniswami, DMK working president M K Stalin and otherleaders extended their Pongal greetings.
In Puducherry, people clad in new garments turned up atvarious shrines to offer prayers to deities.
Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, Chief Minister V Narayanasamyand his ministerial colleagues were among those who greetedthe people of the Union Territory. PTI VGN COR ROHCHT.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.