In pics: How southern India is all set to celebrate ‘Pongal’

Chennai, Jan 09: As the biggest harvest festival Pongal in southern India is round the corner workers and farmers got engaged in reaping crops at their respective farms ahead of the festival. It also marks the onset of the first month of the Tamil calendar. Pongal is also known as 'Makar Sankranti', which is also a harvest festival celebrated across India with gaiety and fervour.

Farmers unload sugarcane from trucks:

Workers unload sugarcanes from trucks at the Koyambedu market ahead of Pongal festival in Chennai, that signifies tribute to the Sun God for the bountiful harvest of crops.

Potter engaged in making pots ahead of the Harvest festival 'Pongal' :

This harvesting festival is also associated with delicious food, people prepare a special sweet with newly harvested rice, cane sugar and milk in a pot and offer it to the Sun God. The cooking is done in a clay pot that is often garlanded with leaves or flowers. Hence, huge demands of pots are there during this festival. As the festival of Pongal is round the corner potters got engaged in making pots near Chennai.

Farmers engaged in reaping at a paddy farm:

The term 'pongal' in Tamil which means "to boil", and this festival is celebrated to mark as a thanksgiving ceremony for the year's harvest. Hence, farmers and workers ahead of the festival got engaged in reaping paddy at a farm ahead of harvest festival 'Pongal' near Chennai.

Farmers reaps new crops ahead of Pongal:

Workers engaged in reaping crops ahead of the harvest festival as new cereals, vegetables, fruits and every food items that come from crops are offered to the Sun God to mark as a tribute for the bountiful harvest of crops.