SEVAI Shanthi Higher Secondary School celebrated Pongal -2019 with customary enthusiasm with Human Trip French visitors.

Pongal Festival celebrated in SEVAI Team in SEVAI Shanthi HSSchool.

SEVAI Shanthi Higher Secondary School celebrated Pongal -2019 with customary enthusiasm with Human Trip Maison Familiale rurale-MFR School French students on 15^th January Tuesday celebrated the harvest festival of Pongal thanking rain, sun and farm animals. Pongal usually means in Tamil 'to boil or 'boiling over' and is celebrated with the boiling of the first rice of the season sacred to the Sun. This four day festival is a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God and is usually celebrated from January 15 to January 18. In the Tamil language the word Pongal means "overflowing," signifying abundance and prosperity. During the festival, milk is cooked in a vessel. When it starts to bubble and overflows out of the vessel, freshly harvested rice grains are added to the pot. School teachers and international visitors celebrate this festival, got up early, put on new clothes and go to temples for prayers. The aroma of ghee fried cashews, almonds and cardamom fills homes as a traditional dish of rice; jaggery and Bengal gram are made. As the ingredients of Chakarai Pongal boils in milk, people call out 'Pongolo Pongal, Pongolo Pongal.The mud pot in which the dish was cooked was decorated by tying up ginger, turmeric, sugarcane piece and banana at the neck.Namma Trichy correspondent reports that Pongal festivities have begun on this first day of the Tamil month ‘Thai,’ which is considered auspicious in Tamil Nadu, as farmers finish their harvest and ready themselves for new beginnings. People exchanged greetings and Chakarai Pongal with their neighbors. ‘Rangoli/kolam had drawn in front of the homes and temples the most important part, feasting on some delectable sakkarai pongal and venn pongal.The SEVAI Shanthi Higher

Rangoli/Kolam

Secondary School was decorated with thoranam, sugar. Both children and parents participated in the programmes with great fervour.  The school grounds resembled a traditional village too. The French school students visit SEVAI Shanthi Matriculation Higher Secondary School for an exchange programme to have an Indian rural exposure..These French visitors also visited Thottiyapatty village in Thogamalai Block and had exposure with rural life on the Pongal day evening and they also joined Kummi attam with the local women. Professors Sylvie, Murieland, Celine and the students’ visitors appreciated the Pongal culture of Tamilnadu. The SEVAI team members K.Devendran, K.Sakthivel and P., Vanitha arranged the visits. The French youth expressed their happiness and they also danced with the local school mates on the Pongal day. Mr.Albert Selvakumar under the guidance of Mr.Philippe Mallet and Ms.Vaidevi guides the team.The French visitors also joined on Bogi in Trichy SEVAI Open Shelter. -Govin

 A few guests with Thottiyapatty adolescents on Pongal day