Pongal celebration was advanced at Armed Reserve Ground here where the district rural police set the tone for the festivities with a rustic touch on Sunday. The city police also organised Pongal festival at the ground, in which Commissioner of Police S. Davidson Devasirvatham participated.
Women in silk sarees prepared ‘Pongal’ outside a palmyra-leave hut that was witnessed by scores of people, including children. The ground was decorated with flags and festoons. The district police lined up a set of old and forgotten household stone articles. Among them were a stone grinder, pounding stone and a mortar that were used by the women for making flour and dough.
A hut built with coconut leaves was also put up for the younger generations to know about the rural dwellings of the past.
The police officials also displayed different types of ploughs, tillers and land levelling equipment that had long back given way to modern farm machinery. A few types of bullock carts and rekhla carts were also on display.
While a life-size statue of a farmer and that of a bull welcomed the guests, the police brought a jallikattu bull to the ground that was a huge hit among the children.
The officials also organised a few competitions like cycle race, silambam and musical chair. The rural game of ‘uri’ – breaking the pot dangling from a height with a stick – stole the show. A few youth also tried their hands in lifting an ‘ilavatta kal’, a huge spherical boulder, which, according to ancient literature, was one of the criteria for a healthy young man to get married.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Pradip Kumar, Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan and Deputy Superintendents of Police took part.