The third day of Pongal is dedicated to cattle and is called Mattu Pongal. People offer prayers to the bulls, cows and other farm animals. Cows and bulls have always held a special place in India. Cows give nourishing milk while bulls and oxen help plough the fields. Thus, Maatu Pongal is a day when cattle are given a well deserved day of rest and are given pride of place. Therefore the farmers honor their cattle friends by celebrating it as a day of thanks-giving to them.
The second day of the month of Thai is “Maattu Pongal”
Cows are especially worshipped on “Maattu Pongal” day
Hindus believe the tail side of the cows are more prosperous than the face. Because cow dung is used to make “Thiruneeru” (holy ash which Hindus wear on their foreheads)
Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar Devasthanam
A Hindu devotee worships a cow
The milk boils over and bubbles towards the “Kizhakku Thisai” out of the vessel
The chief Hindu priest of Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar temple Bala Kurukkal puts the first rice to boil to make “Sakkarai Pongal” (sweet rice)
The cows are decorated with garlands, silk, saffron and “Kumkumam”
The chief Hindu priest of Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar temple Bala Kurukkal offers “Panchcharaththi” to the temple cow “Sunthari”
A devotee is feeding “Sakkarai Pongal” (sweet rice) to a cow
The Hindu devotees at Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar temple watching the cows