Thai Pongal was celebrated across the Tamil homeland this morning, with festivities taking place despite concerns about rising food prcies, food shortages and the plight of farmers caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The secular Tamil festival gives thanks to the sun and for the harvest and dates back in its current form to at least as far back as the Medieval Chola empire. The occasion is marked by boiling milk and rice - the 'pongal' - in a clay pot, often accompanied by various other treats and seasonal fruit. The overflow of the milk symbolises abundance and prosperity for the year to come.
See photographs from the homeland below.
Batticaloa
Hatton
Jaffna
Vavuniya
Mullaitivu
