Mattu Pongal or Kanuma is the day when people forget their caste, creed or other discriminations and come together to celebrate the new harvest and welcome the new season and celebrate cattle. The festival is dedicated to cows, bulls and other animals that are part of agrarian economy. Cows and bulls have always held a special place in India. Cows give nourishing milk while bulls and oxen help plough the fields. Thus, Maatu Pongal Or Kanuma is the day when cattle are given a well deserved day of rest and are given pride of place. Therefore the farmers honor their cattle friends by celebrating it as a day of thanks-giving to them.
Cattle and cattle sheds are cleaned on the day. Cows are decorated with marigold flowers and are worshipped.
“Kanuma” is celebrated as festival of the cattle in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as a part of the Sankranthi festival and the state of Tamil Nadu celebrates as “Mattu Pongal”. The festival of cattle is celebrated on the third day of this four-day long Sankranthi festival by the farmers who consider cattle as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. Kanuma is the celebration and worship of the cattle that falls on the third day. Mukkanuma is the next day that is marked by merry making and feasting.
Kanuma / Mattu Pongal takes place in the last phase of the Tamil month of Marghazi or Telegu month of Pushya. As per the English calendar, it falls between the 13th and 16th of January every year. This is the phase of Uttarayana—when the sun changes its place from the southern to the northern hemishphere.
Legend
According to mythology, on this day Lord Krishna saved the local people of Gokula who came to his rescue after there was a huge flood in the village. It is said that Lord Indra—the deity of rains flooded the village out of anger and rage. Lord Krishna picked up the Govardhan hill with his little finger and gave shelter to all the villagers in danger. Seeing this, lord Indra realized his mistake and withdrew the heavy rains from Gokula.
According to another Legend On this day, Lord Ganesh and Goddess Parvati are worshiped and Pongal is offered to them in the ‘puja’. According to a legend, once Shiva asked his bull, Basava, to go to the earth and ask the mortals to have an oil massage and bath every day and to eat once a month. Inadvertently, Basava announced that everyone should eat daily and have an oil bath once a month. This mistake enraged Shiva who then cursed Basava, banishing him to live on the earth forever. He would have to plough the fields and help people produce more food. Thus the association of this day with cattle.
Rituals
This festival is dedicated to cows, bull and oxen that forms a key part of the agriculture industry of villages.
On this day Govardhan puja or go puja is organized to worship the cattle.
The cattle are bathed and decorated with paint and ornaments on this day. They are taken to nearby temples where rituals are performed for worship.
Family get together are a must; son-in-laws are specially invited for this festival and to be a part of the family unions. Special non vegetarian food is prepared for the grand feast on this day.
The cattle are washed, their horns are painted and covered with shining metal caps.
Multi-colored beads, tinkling bells, sheaves of corn and flower garlands are tied around their necks.
They are fed with Pongal and taken to the village centres.
Devotees pay their respect to cows by bending down, like praying in temple, and touching their feet and foreheads, followed by an aarthi (showing fire to the object of praise) and offering the cattle prasadam (food offering, in this case, Pongal).
Betting is done on the cattle and bull fighting is organized during Kanuma.
The most healthy bulls are adorned with ornaments and are brought in for processions thus showcasing a farmer’s grandeur. These processions are illustrated with Sannai music.
Jallikattu- A Bull Festival
A festival called Jallikattu is held in Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjavur on this day. Bundles of money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls which the villagers try to retrieve. Everyone joins in the community meal, at which the food is made of the freshly harvested grain. This day is named and celebrated as Tamizhar Tirunal in a fitting manner throughout Tamil Nadu.
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