How many days is Pongal?

Four days, starting around 14 January. Bhogi is the bonfire day when old things are burned. Thai Pongal is the main one, when rice and milk are boiled in a new pot until they boil over. That overflow is the point of the festival. Mattu Pongal is for the cattle, and Kaanum Pongal is for visiting family.

Pongal

Kannada

Bhogi, Pongal, Mattu Pongal

Next date

15 January 2027

Friday

Full panchang for this day

About

The harvest festival celebrated on the day the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn).

Falls on: Thai 1, Makar Sankranti, ~14 January, over four days

What it is

Tamil Nadu's principal harvest festival, and a four-day sequence:

Bhogi Pandigai (day 1), old possessions burned in a bonfire at dawn; houses cleaned and repainted. A clearing-out.
Thai Pongal (day 2), the main day. Rice and milk boiled in a new pot outdoors until it boils over, at which point everyone shouts "Pongalo Pongal!" The overflow is the whole point: abundance spilling.
Mattu Pongal (day 3), for the cattle. Horns painted, garlands, bells; jallikattu in some districts.
Kaanum Pongal (day 4), family visiting and outings.

Food

Sakkarai pongal (sweet) and ven pongal (savoury), sugarcane, vadai, payasam.

Common questions

How many days is Pongal?: Four days, starting around 14 January. Bhogi is the bonfire day when old things are burned. Thai Pongal is the main one, when rice and milk are boiled in a new pot until they boil over. That overflow is the point of the festival. Mattu Pongal is for the cattle, and Kaanum Pongal is for visiting family.

2026

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2027

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