PONGAL

This festival is especially celebrated in Tamil Nadu. The rice harvest is usually celebrated in the family home over a period of four days. Homes are cleaned from top to bottom, women draw kolams on their doorsteps, and cows are painted and enguirlanded. On the first day, rice is cooked with cane sugar and turmeric in a large pot, until it boils and overflows. Adults and children challenge each other with their kites. Epic battles rage, especially on the beaches.