The harvest festival of Pongal was celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour in Puducherry on Sunday. The streets were decked up with kolam and people decorated their homes with mango leaves and performed poojas to the Sun God.
Brisk business
Clad in new garments, people turned up at various shrines to offer prayers to presiding deities. Sugar cane and turmeric plants, which are important requirements to celebrate the festival, sold like hot cakes at various points. Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy offered worship at Sri Manakula Vinayakar Temple and inaugurated the ‘Annadhanam’ scheme.
The traditional ‘Mattu Pongal’ was celebrated with fervour and gaiety in villages on Monday. Cattle were bathed and their horns painted with colours and worshipped.
For ‘Kaanum Pongal’ festival on Tuesday, security has been strengthened at several places including the Promenade beach here, where people throng in large numbers.
