The festival is celebrated for four days in the month of “thai”. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over" or "spill over". The boiling over of milk in the clay pot symbolizes material abundance for the household.
The first day -Bhogi Festival:
The first day of Pongal is devoted to Lord Indra, who is the supreme ruler of clouds that give rain
The second day- Surya Pongal:
On the second day of Pongal, a puja is performed. Rice is boiled in milk, outdoors - in an earthenware pot, and is symbolically offered to the Sun God
The third day-Maatu Pongal:
The third day of Pongal is celebrated because Lord Shiva once asked Nandi, his bull, to go to earth and deliver his message to the people - to have an oil bath every day and food once a month. But Nandi got it all mixed up when he delivered the message, and told the people that Shiva asked them to have an oil bath once a month and eat every day. Enraged Shiva cursed “Nandi” and said that due to this mistake there would be lack of grains on the Earth. He banished the bull to live on earth forever and help people plough the fields. It is also known as Mattu Pongal, the day when cattle are worshipped
The fourth day -Kaanum Pongal:
The women in the house pay respects to their brothers on this something like a rakshabandam in the north
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