Happy Thanksgiving

It turns out that I’ve arrived two days before a major holiday, so everyone has a 4-day weekend. (I didn't plan it that way, honest!) It is the Festival of Pongal, a holiday specific to this region. The theme is similar to our Thanksgiving, in that it is a time to give thanks for a good harvest, celebrate the rain, sun, and the animals who are essential to rural life.

When I wake up the morning of the festival and look outside my hotel window, I see this:

No, this is not a poorly exposed photograph. The haziness is smoke, the result of thousands of bonfires being lit before sunrise, with useless household items being thrown into the fire. The fires are symbolic of getting rid of the old and starting a fresh new year.

Several people warned me that I should be careful in Chennai during the festival, because there will be a huge influx of people into the city, and it tends to get rowdy. So when a co-worker invited me to spend the festival with her family in a remote village about 3 hours from here, where they will be celebrating Pongal with traditional rituals, I jumped at the chance to visit rural India.

I will save the details of our train journey to the village for another blog entry; it is a story in itself! The village was lovely and peaceful, and very primitive. It did have electricity, but no running water. The family participates in all the traditional rituals of this festival, including offerings to the ancestors, paying homage to farm animals, and the creation of a traditional dishes. Here are some scenes:

It is not only cows that are sacred here; cow dung and cow urine are considered sacred as well. Here, cow dung is “molded into the form of god” in preparation for festival rituals.

Farmyard animals—cows, oxen, even dogs—are painted and decorated with wreaths and paint. The dog and oxen (below) have the traditional paint "handprints" on them.

A "puja" (offering) of sweets, incense, candles, and flowers is given to the ancestors:

A traditional rice dish, called pongal (which the festival is named after) is cooked outdoors over an open fire. It's the central dish for this festival, the culinary equivalent of turkey for our Thanksgiving.

Village children:

I'll write more bits 'n pieces about my trip in future blog entries-

Comments

[Sister M]

wow, you got to attend Pongali. My thesis advisor mentor has written her dissertation on it. It's a very significant holiday for women. It's not exactly Thanksgiving though. It's based on a tale of some fierce women taking things into their own hands. I'll have to send you the story somehow.

No, Pongali sounds like a different festival than Pongal. This one is all about the harvest and giving thanks. Here is the link to this one:

http://www.south-india-tour-package.com/festivals-of-south-india/tamil-nadu-festivals/pongal-festival.html

But I would be very interested in attending the one of fierce women taking things into their own hands!

[Lauree]

Welcome back, Basia! (Can a person absent from a place welcome you to it??) You sound so happy and look absolutely devilish with delight on your 'cycle. Does it (she?) have a name yet? And the celebration with your rural family also sounds and looks terrific. Thanks for the super views! You definitely left at the right time of the snow and ice cycle. Have a happy, happy new (Indian and work and US calendar) New Year! Lauree

[Lesley]

Hi Basia! Dee and I are reading your blog together and are VERY happy you are back safe! Your pics are beautiful! Please don't go looking for fierce women celebrations (we've got plenty of those here) : ) Miss you!
Les and Dee

[Shannon]

Oh how I smiled to see the beautiful pics of the little girls- your photography of children is amazing. If you get to the festival of fierce women, you must tell all-sounds like a festival we should have here.

[Donna]

Wow, wow, wow, wow. When you didn't post for a few days last week I thought of three reasons. I thought you were working the usual 12-hour days for Element K, slacking off, or worst yet not feeling well. I think I was wrong on all counts. In fact you are out being really immersed in the culture. I think it took Margaret Mead about 3 months to get that kind of an insiders' look. How wonderful for you and for us! Just to keep you updated and in case you didn't know John Kerry was the "surprise" winner of the Iowa caucas.
Donna

[Clare]

Glad you enjoyed the festival, but GUESS WHAT THEY ARE BUILDING ON WEST HENRIETTA ROAD NOT 1 MILE FROM US????? Yes, a DUNKIN' DONUTS! So now you have a good reason to come back!
xoxox Clare

[Mike Sherwood]

Here is a twist on the traditional American Thanksgiving. Consider if Christopher Columbus had landed in Bombay instead of the Burmudas. You get an East Indian Thanksgiving. Not Pongali, just turkey and pumpkin pie done mildly Desi.
http://www.subrosa.arbre.us/indiathanks.html

Appetizer: Curried Nuts
Greens: Gujarat Green Beans
Starch: Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
Curried Yams with coconut milk
Turkey: Cumin and Coriander spice rub
Condiments: Cranberry Chutney
Cucumber Raita
Stuffing: With raisins, cinnamon, almonds, celery and of course, bread
Dessert: Chiffon Pumpkin Pie with crystallized ginger galore

Also provided is a short blurb on the ‘truth about the first thanksgiving’ where the Indians saved our collective butts back in 1620. http://www.subrosa.arbre.us/firsthanksgiving.html

Sub Rosa is a ‘virtual’ restaurant that combines recipes, music and a wine cellar to make a quirky spot on the web for good food.

Reservations are a little tough to get at this special place. You can always download a recipe or some cool music or buy a nifty t-shirt, but that’s about it. http://www.subrosa.arbre.us/SubRosaReservations.html

[Basia]

Mike Sherwood - are you the Mike Sherwood I used to know, years ago, or did you just stumble on here randomly? Interesting Indian Thanksgiving feast-