'Mattu Pongal' celebrated with traditional fervour in Tamil Nadu

Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Jan 16(ANI): Locals across Tamil Nadu worshipped cattle on the third day of Pongal on Sunday, as a mark of gratitude to the livestock for helping farmers in their cultivation.

This festival is known as Mattu Pongal, and observed throughout Tamil Nadu and southern parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

On the occasion, the livestock bulls, bullocks and cows are worshipped for their help during the period of cultivation of crops.

The horns of these cattle are decorated with colourful items and even painted and at many places such as Bangalore in Karnataka, the cattle owners take out the decorated animals in a procession.

"As you can see everyone is celebrating happily. As part of the Pongal festival of Gomata (mother cow), we have been celebrating it every year for the cows on behalf of everyone and we are having more than 150 cows," said Dinesh, a farmer in Tiruchirapalli.

Hindus revere a cow as holy with the belief it houses all the divine entities.

As part of the Mattu Pongal, bananas and sweets were offered to the cows.

Kasi Viswanathan, another resident of Tiruchirapalli, said that the ritual is a symbol of thanksgiving to the cattle since they have brought a change in lives of all their owners and the society.

"Everyone is celebrating it with enthusiasm. And the change in our lives is visible with the work we do. We have experienced a lot of change in our lives and it is because of people and these animals due to which the work is successful," Viswanathan said. (ANI)