The Harvest Festival of Life

 The Harvest Festival of Life

We all carry burdens—worries, fears, and the clutter of negativity. Bhogi, the first flame of the Pongal festival, is more than a ritual; it is a call to action. It symbolises our need to discard the old, the worn, and the weary—to clear the mental field so a fresh journey can begin.

This new journey starts not with demand, but with gratitude. As the sun rises on Surya Pongal, we offer the first sweet harvest. This is our profound "thank you" to nature, the ultimate partner who blessed our hard labour with bounty.

But no farmer works alone. Our journey is woven with the strength of other living beings—the steadfast ox, the nurturing cow. Mattu Pongal is our day of recognition. We adorn them, honour them, and celebrate them not as tools, but as family. It is a lesson in seeing the help that sustains us, and what is a harvest without community? The festival’s final note, Kaanum Pongal, is dedicated to bonding. We meet, we greet, and we thank everyone—from the one who helped sow the seed to the one who helped reap the grain. This is the human ecosystem in action.

Traditionally, life itself was built this way: through farming, barter, and a deep interdependence with nature and each other. We functioned as a single, breathing ecosystem. From this wisdom, we learned the essential life skills:

·       Cleansing our minds (Bhogi)

·       Thanking the forces that sustain us (Surya Pongal)

·       Recognising our fellow beings (Mattu Pongal)

·       Bonding to co-create and co-exist (Kaanum Pongal)

Let us remember that these are not merely festivals. They are ancient, living wisdom—a blueprint for a harmonious life. They teach us the skills to stay positive, live with deep gratitude, honour our relationships, and build a world where we truly live with, not just besides, one another.

Wishing you all a Pongal filled with warmth, renewal, and shared abundance!

M.L. Narendra Kumar