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THAI PONGAL 2023 – By Vasu Vasudevan Source : Qld Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – January 2023 As we celebrate the English New year along with all our Australian friends, we must not forget that Thai Pongal, one of the major Hindu festivals, will be celebrated soon on Sunday, the 15th of January. Thai Pongal is celebrated in a grand manner in the rice growing belt of South India and Sri Lanka to mark the end of winter months and the beginning of longer days as the sun commences its journey towards the northern hemisphere (also known as Utharayana). On this auspicious day, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn or Maka, hence this day s also called Makara Sankaranthi. On Thai Pongal day, newly harvested rice is boiled with milk and jaggery and offered to Surya or Sun God outside the house facing East. A new earthen pot ...