Help Fulfill Our Student's Dream in 2016
Dear Friends of Andovar School in Tamil Nadu, India
I am pleased to share with you photos of our school's celebration of the festival of Pongal. The harvest festival of Pongal is celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu from Jan.13-16. It is a festival that marks the Sun's shift to its 6 month journey northward. It is primarily a festival to thank the Sun and all the laws of Nature for a bountiful harvest-especially of rice.
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| Deity statues are beautifully dressed and decorated for the occasion of Pongal |
The festival is celebrated by Tamil people throughout the world-and especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. Our school celebrated in the traditional way. The first rice of the season is boiled with milk in an open courtyard until it boils over.
Beautiful drawings of spiritual significance are made outside of homes, temples and other public places. Homes are decorated with mango and banana leaves. It is a time to celebrate abundance and all the blessings of Mother Nature.
Our school administrators preside over the festivities as the students look on.
After the rice and milk have cooked and have been spiced to create the dish called "Pongal" everyone has a taste and enjoys other sweets and savories as part of the celebration. In the photo below, our students dressed in their best enjoy the feast.
The students at Andovar School celebrate all of the major holidays of each religion Hindu, Muslim and Christian so that the students gain and understanding of each other, each culture and its special place in Indian culture and the world.
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