Pongal!!!

Yesterday was such an exhausting day at work! Got stuck witha severe sinus headache before noon, some toxic handling that required collaboration with some very egoistic and opinionated, not to mention fastidious men. Then I had dance class, 2 separate dance practices, and a minor annoyance in the form of a choreographer who didn't want us to perform Minnat Kare from Paheli, which is such a lovely song about girlfriends telling their friend the bride about what to do on her wedding night) . On a side note, can i whine about the predisposition of people to only want to perform dhingchack (garish, gaudy) numbers at weddings? It' s such a sacred and beautiful occasion, and hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime one! (At least, the excitement and anticipation only is felt by first-timers). I'm so glad that at least my mother's side of the family performs traditional garba and Rajasthani numbers. And Minnat Kare really is a sweet and lovely and graceful dance, one that is fit to be performed in a ghaghra, not like these thrusting numbers that look at best awkward, at worst vulgar, in traditional, conservative outfits.

So my headache STILL didn't disappear despite the physical exertion and relative heat, leaving me to resort to a trusty Vicks Action 500. My day was slightly redeemed by the fact that my favourite little girls were at dance class yesterday, and I got to dance Kalithuki, and got litchi sweets from a little girl whos birthday it was! And the fact that my mother allowed me to go at 7am to Matunga to dance at a Rudra temple. And the fact that we learnt a new (albeit stressful and tiring) dance at my friend's place. (Come to think of it, if you look for joy, it can be found in many places. You just must have the right glasses on!)

Anyway, now on to the subject of this post. Today is the day before Pongal, and the festival called Thiruvadira, (which I have remembered after asking people at least 5 times, with the spelling besides) which is Lord Nataraja's birthday, or the day he gave darshan upon earth. A huge festival takes place at His temple at Chidambaram. My dance master also invites his students for a small performance here in Mumbai at the temple in Matunga, which they say our dance class is blessed by. A pooja takes place from 5:30 am. We only had to reach in time to dance, so i tottered over by about 7:15 to Matunga in my sari, only realising upon meeting the other students that in my haste to dress up and leave without my mother's supervision I had forgotten my earrings. Oh well, second hole zindabad!!!

I was hyper because by the time I reached there was no one in class. The maid cleaning the class said that everyone had goen 'upstairs'. Where? I panicked and ran up till the terrace. THEN I remembered to call a fellow student who said that they were already at the temple. I hurried there to find them returning to practice in class as the pooja was still going on. We got to witness the procession of the deity and a South Indian girl told me that they hardly follow anything anymore and she didn't know what was going on. She said Pongal was the South Indian version of Makar Sankranti. Anyway then we opened class, prayed to the earth for forgiveness for stamping upon her in our dance, to Nataraja, to the gurus, dead and alive, for their blessings, and practiced the dances we were to do. I had forgotten tons, having not practiced them for a while, and having learnt so many new dances recently (learning a new complex Jatiswaram and Varnam, not to mention film songs for my best friend's and cousin's wedding - learnt one more verse of Deedar De, Sajna ve Sajna, and having issues remembering Dupatta Beimaan Re). I was to perform only Ganesha Kavathuvam, not really knowing the others.

After dancing and closing class and performing a mini ghunghroo (the belt of 3 rows of bells dancers wear on their feet) pooja, we went to the temple. There, our ghunghroos were once again blessed by the deity and we opened class once again (we had to close class the first time despite the fact that we were going to dance again because one cannot leave a dance class without ending one's session). We started dancing. It's quite something else to be facing a deity and performing, rather than a teacher you know is going to cringe/smile/frown/look horrified at your mistakes, or at an audience of unfamiliar/unfriendly/curious/judgmental faces. Looking at the deity in it's sanctum, covered and inlaid with gold, with an atmosphere of light smoke from the aarti, I felt... I wouldn't call it inspired, but at peace, though I don't think I smiled very much. I made fewer mistakes/less visible ones than usual though, though my sari was too long and getting in the way of my feet when ! sat in 4th position!

When the performance was done (only 10 minutes or so), we went back, and I changed in a rush for work. We were told that we must take prasad (offering blessed by the deity, usually food, some sweet or coconut or something) before leaving. So we sat in one of the classrooms cross-legged, and we had to eat with our food on banana leaves with our hands!!! Now I know this is not such a big deal but I've only eaten on banana leaves maybe once or twice before! We were served medu wada, pongal (a rice-based creamish dish which kinda tastes like kichu), with hot tamarind-ish but not as sweet chutney to go with it, shakkari pongal (sweet pongal), some dish that was kinda like sheera but made of rice, and medu wada. We had to wash the banana leaf with the few drops of water that were scattered on it befoore being served. Eating with our hands is not as messy as I had anticipated as everything was relatively dry and thick (yes I do eat other Indian food with my hands on a daily basis but it's usually not sitting on teh floor or on a banana leaf or in front of people of another community! So I basically felt like an unpadh gawaar - uneducated country bumpkin, or like an American tourist, asking questions and looking excitedly curious!)

So, to quickly brief you about Pongal if you're too bored to explore the links above. It indeed falls on the same day as Makar Sankranti/Kite-flying Day, in the North, (no WONDER gujjus pronounce it Utaraan!) on January 14-15, start of the Tamil month Thai, and is a festival created in order to offer thanks for a bountiful harvest (of sugar-cane, rice, other cereals and turmeric) . (I'm slightly confused with the dates - it says that South Indians in the north only celebrate the second day as Pongal, which is Jan 14, so Thiruvadira must take place the same day as Bhogi).

'Pongal' itself means 'to boil over' or to overflow. It basically is the only Hindu festival based on the Solar calendar, and is considered the beginning of auspicious times as the sun moves into Makar (capricorn) and into its northward(Uttarayana) movement for a 6 month period. It's also a break for farmers at the end of the farming season. It's 4 days long. On the first day, or Bhogi, praise is offered to Indra, God of rains, and a bonfire is also created of useless household articles after a thorough home-cleaning.

On the second day or Surya, the sun God of the same name is worshipped and offered rice boiled in milk. On this day, Lord Shiva is supposed to have made a stone elephant eat sugarcane at a temple in Madurai. Lovely kolams (rangolis to North Indians). Like the one below:

On the third day, or Mattu, cows are worshipped, adorned and have the evil eye removed. Besides bull racing. This is because Shiva cursed his bull Busava to remain on earth forever as he made a little mistake in delivering Shiva's message to humans: he asked them to have an oil bath every month and eat daily rather than asking them to have an oil bath daily and eat once a month.

The fourth day is Kannum, in which women perform a ritual before bathing of praying for prosperity for their brothers (why not husbands? can anyone tell me? - I suppose the husbands' sisters must be praying for them but what if they don't have any?) Also, the poet Thiruvalluvar, who wrote the Tirrukural, a lovely practical book on the ideal way to live daily life, was born on this day. Kannum Pongal is celebrated as the third day in cities, and Mattu Pongal is ignored.

Pongal has its historical origins in the Sangam Age (200 BCE to 300 AD), and followed a month-long penance by women in the Tamil month Margazhi, consisting of worshipping a Goddess Katyayani, carved out fo sand, not oiling their hair, avoiding dairy, and refraining from using harsh words, for the prosperity of their country. Pongal also marks the beginning of day of the Gods, after a 6-month long night - associated with the astronomical movement of the Sun souhwards or Dakshinaayana.

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When i blew my nose after dancing on my way to work. I noticed a lot of black powdery stuff coming out. Was it my eye pencil that possibly merged into my nasal passage (because I did notice just now that my eye make-up is smudged), or was it the smoke from the temple? Can any South Indians please enlighten me?

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Saw a dog lying on a crowded road from class to work today. If it was sleeping, then it must be a holy spirit... also says a lot for the humanity of the drivers who must have avoided it. If it's dead - and I couldn't see because I didn't see any oozing innards, then may its soul Rest In Peace.