Pongal is perhaps the most significant festival in Tamil Nadu and is widely celebrated by Tamilians, the world over. Now at LLA, every batch that comes in is a group of culturally diverse individuals from all over the country. Which means any festival celebrated here, is where students who’ve never been a part of such cultures and traditions, be able to experience them. Pongal, being the first festival of the year and an important piece of Tamil culture, was naturally the perfect opportunity for this.
Pots were set up on the pathway to the reception with milk boiling in one and three different kinds of Pongal in others. Moments later, chants of “Pongal O Pongal!, Pongal O Pongal!…” welcomed the milk, as it rose to the pot’s brim, spilling over; symbolic of a happy future. Everyone chimed in, reveling in the joy of taking part in a wonderful tradition.
“It was a really nice experience, taking into consideration Pongal is a breakfast dish that I wasn’t really a fan of. But the jaggery version, which I tried today, was really awesome!” – Sagun Lunia (Batch 19- 20) | Calcutta
“Being the first festival of the year, it was a lot of fun celebrating it with classmates from other parts of the country who are celebrating it for the first time and I hope they enjoyed it a lot.” – Manoj Giri (Batch 19- 20) | Chennai
Experiencing different cultures and traditions is one of the highlights of being a part of Life at LLA. Students who’ve never worn a dhoti before, ambling about awkwardly for fear of them falling, trying out dishes they’ve never had before (and loving it!) are all simple pleasures derived from experiencing cultures other than one’s own.