Us Contact Us Awards by Bet Key Wong Background Pongal is a popular harvest festival in South India . Named after a sweet rice dish, Pongal starts on January 14 of each year. The celebration lasts for three days. This is the day to honor the cattle's hard work for plowing the fields. Festivities vary in different regions.
Some families clean their houses and throw away old clothes.
But the main activity involves people from the entire village. Neighbors get together for a community feast to share their crops and give thanks to all who have contributed to a successful harvest. There are 24 spoken languages in India but more than half of its population can speak English. Other religion groups include Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Copyright 1997 - 2000.