Thai Pongal celebrated on grand scale in North and upcountry

By Sithum Chaturanga and Ranjith Rajapakse  

The people in the North celebrated Thai Pongal festival on a grand scale. Ceremonies were held at the Hindu Kovils in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. The main ceremony was held at the Kandasamy Hindu Kovil in Vavuniya.   

Many of them including the business community boiled milk in front of their homes and business establishments and paid homage to the sun.   

The main ceremony in the Thai Pongal festival in the upcountry was held in a grand way yesterday at Sri Manikya Pillaiyar Kovil in Hatton.   

Starting the rituals, the devotees prepared milk rice with fresh red rice and cereal and offered it to the sun. The Hindu devotees celebrate the Thai Pongal festival to pay homage to the sun in gratitude of abundance in agriculture.