Pongal :Festival of Abundance

Pongal is a festival celebrated in Tamilnadu to mark the harvest of sugarcane, rice and turmeric and other crops. Thanksgiving is done to the Sun for providing energy for the crops, the rivers and canals for watering the crops and the cattle who helped by ploughing the fields and providing manure. It is also a time for the family and the whole village to get together to celebrate the bonds and connections before getting busy with the next round of activities for the year.

Pongal. literally translated means ‘to boil over’ …to me it signifies abundance - that there is so much that it spills over. The wish or prayer here ,is that the year ahead is filled with abundance of health and wealth, that the cup of joy overflows that one is able to get in touch with the abundance within ourselves and in the world outside.

For me the celebrations were a beckoning to get in touch with the abundance of the universe and the abundance of creativity and compassion within. The universe remains abundant , how much ever we take from it as much as we remain abundant as we shower compassion on the others around us.

Year after year as we harvest the benefits of our hard work, this festival is an opportunity to become aware that our successes would not have been possible without the earth unfailingly giving us the elements that we need to succeed. Space to cultivate our skills and expand our circle of influence, the fire to warm our spirit, victories and challenges to quench our ambition, wind beneath wings to fly high, shade when we needed respite, love, support and companionship of connection so that we feel we belong.

What comes to mind is the beautiful Sanskrit verse from the Upanishads

Om Purnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Puurnnam-Udacyate |
Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

Which means 

“The outer universe is complete and infinite,

 The inner universe is complete and infinite

 The whole and infinite manifested from the whole and infinite and  

 When you take away the infinite from the infinite, the whole from the whole

 What is left is still complete/whole /infinite “

Whether it our outer universe or our inner universe. when we manifest and create with compassion …there is no depletion .in fact we continue to remain wholesome as long as we are aware our abundance.

Pongal is a wonderful opportunity for thanking the universe our Bhoomi /Gaia for our existence, for abundance in our lives.