In Sri Lanka, Thai Pongal is seen as a unifying festival that fosters community bonding. Thulasi (holy basil): A sacred plant included in many Sri Lankan Pongal rituals, symbolising purity and ...

The second day of the Pongal festival ... signaling the start of the Tamil month of Thai. The day is packed with rituals and ceremonies, as individuals come together to honor Surya and show ...

On Thai Pongal Day, families cook rice with milk and jaggery in new pots as a Thanksgiving gesture to Surya. Rituals include decorating homes with kolams (rice flour designs) and worshipping ...

The annual Pongal festival in Pendlehill, Sydney, is highly popular. Parthiban, one of the coordinators of the festival, explains the "Tamil Thai Pongal Festival," which is organised by more than ...