Just like Deepavali, Pongal Festival is a popular event celebrated by the Tamil community in Singapore every year. Pongal is derived from the Tamil word “pongu,” which means “to boil over” or “overflow.”

While not an official holiday, it is celebrated like a Thanksgiving festival and usually falls on Jan. 14 or 15. Hindu families flock to Little India to observe the festival by giving thanks to sun god Surya for a generous harvest throughout the year.

Four Days of Pongal in Singapore

Pongal Festival in Singapore also marks the onset of spring and the end of winter. It lasts up to four days, beginning with Bhogi Pongal or the day of decluttering and throwing away unnecessary belongings as a sign of a brand new life. People also offer prayers to the god of lightning, thunder, rains, and river flow called Indra.

As part of tradition, the second day is referred to as Surya Pongal when devotees cook a pot of rice and milk at dawn and offer this to the sun god. People also put up vibrant lamp lights and floor decors with coloured rice flour called kolam.

The third day of celebration is called Maatu Pongal. This is when farmers pay tribute to cows for their hard work in ploughing and dairy production. They clean and adorn the cattle with colorful beads, flower garlands, and bells.

Finally, the fourth day or Kaanum Pongal is the day for family reunions and temple visits in hopes of strengthening the bond between people and the community.

Read on to learn more about Pongal in Singapore including the cultural activities and programmes hosted by the Indian Heritage Centre, together with the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA).

Kid-friendly Workshops

Your kids will surely enjoy creating their own Pulli Kolam designs and greeting cards from Pongal colouring sheets. You can download the materials here.

Pongal Dishes

As part of the Surya Pongal in Singapore, families cook in a clay pot or brass pot. The two most popular dishes prepared during this event are Sakkarai Pongal (sweet dish) and Venn Pongal (savoury dish served as breakfast). When cooking Pongal dishes, you need the following:

• Rice
• Turmeric
• Cardamon - Indian spice made from the seeds of a plants
• Dal - dried split pea or lentil
• Ghee - clarified butter
• Milk
• Jaggery - traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar
• Cashew Nuts

Once the meal is cooked, family members gather around and shout “Pongalo, Pongal” before eating to manifest good luck and prosperity.

Traditional Indian Folk Dances

One of the highlights during Kaanum Pongal in Singapore is the Indian performers in colorful costumes. They perform ancient folk dances including Mayilattam (peacock dance), Karakattam (water pot dance), Kolattam (stick dance), and Poi Kaal Kuthirai Attam (horse dance).