Happy Bhogi: A look at how people celebrate the beginning of harvest festival in Tamil Nadu

With full enthusiasm and fervour, people celebrated Bhogi across the state marking the beginning of Pongal festival. Here is a look at how people marked the beginning of the harvest festival.

Bhogi pongal is the first day of the four-day Pongal festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu. On this day, people discard their old belongings in a bonfire and celebrate ownership of new possessions. (Photo | EPS, P Jawahar) 

The celebrations begin early in the morning with people playing drums and other musical instruments around the fire. (Photo | EPS, P Jawahar)

Like every year, the Bhogi fires deteriorated Chennai air quality dramatically across the city. (Photo | EPS, P Jawahar)

Sugarcanes are important while celebrating the festival and are considered to be a mark of a good harvest. (Photo | EPS, Madhav K)

Fresh turmeric roots is another crop that is very important and is must during the final day of Pongal. (Photo | EPS, Madhav K)

People clean their house, decorate their homes and make different colourful rangolis outisde their house on all the four days. (Photo | EPS, Madhav K)

New clothes are worn to mark the start of the harvest festival and add to the festive spirit. (Photo | EPS, Madhav K)

For children, it is not only a festival but also a small break from school which starts from Bhogi. Relatives, neighbours and friends come together to celebrate a good harvest. (Photo | EPS, U Rakesh Kumar)

People gather in groups and play various games as part of pongal celebrations. (Photo | EPS, U Rakesh Kumar)

Oxens and buffaloes are very important part of the festival. Seen as animals who provide food and help farmers in agriculture, people pay respect to their cattle during sankranti. (Photo | EPS, P Jawahar)