Home India Famous Festivals of Tamil Nadu that Will Offer You A Glimpse of...

Famous Festivals of Tamil Nadu that Will Offer You A Glimpse of its Rich Culture

110508
0
famous festivals of Tamil Nadu
Source: Freepik

Tamil Nadu is one of the southern Indian states that has continued to preserve its traditions, and its festivals provide an overview into the state’s rich cultural history. Different sections of Tamil Nadu celebrate all of the festivals throughout the year with a lot of enthusiasm. Here you can get a look into famous festivals of Tamil Nadu as well as colorful culture and festivities, which you have to experience at least once.

Visiting Tamil Nadu during the auspicious local festivals can be truly worth the trip because it can help you learn about the culture and religious traditions of the Tamil people. 

How many festivals are there in Tamil Nadu?

The pride of the Tamils lies in their 7 famous festivals of Tamilnadu which are celebrated worldwide by the people with Tamil origin. Most of these famous Tamil festivals have religious significance to some popular Hindu deity like Surya or Nataraja in the Hindu pantheon of Gods and are celebrated along with traditional festive foods to savor and share with friends and family. That being said, temple visits, pujas and rituals are also integral to most of the famous festivals in Tamil Nadu.

Here’s the bucket-list of famous festivals of Tamil Nadu that are worth coinciding with your trip to Tamil Nadu:

7 Famous Tamil Nadu Festivals 

  1. Pongal – The Harvest Festival
  2. Puthandu – Tamil New Year’s Day
  3. Natyanjali Dance Festival – Dedicated to Nataraja 
  4. Thaipusam – The Birthday of Lord Subramaniam
  5. Thiruvaiyaru Festival – A Tribute to Thyagaraja
  6. Karthigai Deepam – The Festival of Lights 
  7. Mahamaham Festival – A Unique Duodecennial Festival

The Harvest-Festival of Pongal

It may come as a surprise to most of you that the country-wide harvest festival of Makar Sankranti is known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu and has its own unique Tamil vibe to it. This is one of the most famous festivals celebrated in Tamilnadu dedicated to Sun God or Surya and the festival lasts for four days of Bhogi, Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and kanuma; it falls in the Thai month of the Tamil Calendar and marks the beginning of the new harvest season.

The first day of the festival, known as Bhoghi, signifies a new beginning in life. On this day the locals create Bhogi bonfires to burn useless old household items and other wastes to make way for new things in life. The second day is the main festival of Pongal and it marks the beginning of the new harvest season. The third day is Mattu Pongal, also known as the festival of cows and this involves the worshiping of the cattle for invoking blessings of good harvest yields in the months ahead. The festival of Pongal culminates with the final day celebrations of kanuma for invoking blessings of good prosperity for the families. Interestingly, Pongal is the traditional sweet dish of this harvest festival and bears the same name as the festival!

Pongal 2024 Date: 15th January

Tamil New Year’s Day or Puthandu

This is one of the most famous festivals of Chennai, best celebrated in Chennai city of Tamil Nadu for learning about the culture and traditions of the local Tamils. Tamil New Year’s Day, locally known as Puthandu marks the beginning of a new year in the Tamil Calendar and falls in the month of April. Beautiful Kolams or colorful chalk drawings are made by the women of the households on the floor at the entrances of the houses on this festival day. The main highlight of Puthandu is the delicious mango pickle, a sweet ‘n’ sour dish made with raw mangoes, neem leaves and jaggery.

Tamil New Year’s Day 2024 Date: 14th April

Natyanjali Dance Festival

Natyanjali Dance Festival is another famous Tamil Nadu Festival with a religious significance. ‘Natya’ means dance and ‘anjali’ means offering. This is a dance festival dedicated to the Hindu deity Nataraja or Lord Shiva and is celebrated annually on Mahashivratri day at the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. The festival strengthens the message of unity among the people of India by bringing together at least 300 dancers from diverse cultures of India with their dance performances belonging to various Indian schools of dance including Kathak, Kathakali and Bharithanatyam.

Natyanjali Dance Festival 2024 Date: It is celebrated either in the month of February or March

Thaipusam

Thaipusam is a popular Tamil Nadu festival that falls in the Thai month of the Tamil Calendar. The festival marks the birthday celebrations of Lord Subramaniam, the younger son of Lord Shiva. The main highlight of the festival is that devotees carry ‘kavadis’ over their shoulders on the festival day to offer penance to the Lord. A ‘Kavadi’ is a long stick with two hanging pots on either side with offerings of rice and milk in them.

Thaipusam 2024 Date: 25th January

Thiruvaiyaru Festival

This is an annual Tamil festival, coincides with Pushya Bahula Panchami day and is a tribute to Thyagaraja, a popular music composer and saint with origins from Thiruvaiyaru town in Thanjavur district. Thiruvaiyaru Festival is essentially an annual music-festival that takes place in the month of January at the Samadhi of the renowned singer by the Cauvery Lake in the serene town of Thiruvaiyuru.  Religious rituals and ‘pujas’ are an integral part of this festival.

Thiruvaiyaru Festival 2024: 30th January

Karthigai Deepam

Karthigai Deepam, also known as the ‘Festival of Lights’ is a 10 day annual Tamil festival that takes place in the Karthigai month of the Tamil Calendar during November to mid-December. The festival is considered very auspicious and promises the beginning of good things in life for the devotees with the passing away of all bad things. Like most Hindu festivals, the Tamil festival of Karthigai Deepam occurs when there’s a shift in the position of one of the heavenly bodies in our solar system; Karthigai Deepam occurs when the moon aligns with the Karthigai constellation.

Karthigai Deepam 2024 Date: 13th December

Mahamaham Festival

Mahamaham is one of the vibrant and famous festivals of Tamil Nadu that is worth celebrating during your holiday in Tamil Nadu. The festival is unique and it involves the devotees dipping themselves in the waters of Mahamaham tank to cleanse themselves of their sins. Interestingly the festival is celebrated by the Tamils once in every 12 years in the month of Masi in the Tamil calendar when the planet Jupiter aligns itself with the star sign Leo in the constellation.

Mahamaham Festival 2024: Occurs once in 12 years

Now that you have got a good insight on the 7 famous festivals of Tamil Nadu, it’s about time you planned a travel itinerary for Tamil Nadu well in advance to experience these rich and colorful Tamil festivals with the local Tamil vibe. The capital city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai can be a good jump-off point to explore the vast state of Tamil Nadu. Book your cheap flights to Chennai with Indian Eagle right now and have a memorable journey.

Famous Festivals of Tamil Nadu

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sankranti called in Tamil Nadu?

Sankranti, also called Makar Sankranti, is celebrated as Pongal in Tamil Nadu. The festival is named after a sweet dish by the same name, which is traditionally consumed on this day. 

What is the famous festival of Tamil Nadu?

Although the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu celebrates many festivals, Pongal is one of the famous festivals of Tamil Nadu. It is a 4-day harvest festival that usually falls in the month of January. 

What are the four days of Pongal?

The four days of the Pongal festival are celebrated as Bhogi Pongal, Surya Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kanuma Pongal.

What are the festivals celebrated by Tamils? 

Tamilians celebrate a variety of festivals that range from the regional new year called Puthandu to harvest festivals, music, and dance festivals to unique celebrations such as Jallikattu and Mahamaham Festival. The following festivals are celebrated with much enthusiasm in Tamil Nadu: 

  1. Pongal
  2. Thaipusam
  3. Puthandu
  4. Karthigai Deepam
  5. Natyanjali Dance Festival
  6. Mahamaham Festival
  7. Thiruvaiyaru Festival
  8. Jallikattu Bull Festival
  9. Chithirai Festival
  10. Vinayaka Chaturthi
  11. Navaratri
  12. Deepavali
  13. Panguni Uthiram
  14. Saraswati Pooja 
  15. Avani Moolam Festival
Which is the biggest festival of Tamil Nadu?

The biggest festival in Tamil Nadu is Pongal. It is a four-day harvest celebration held in the month of January. The festival honors the Sun God and marks the beginning of the Tamil month Thai. It is believed to bring joy and prosperity to households across the state.

What are the 4 days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu?

The four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu are Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal. Each day has its own unique ritual and significance. This is a way of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks to nature, cattle, and family.

What is Tamil Thai Pongal day?

Tamil Thai Pongal is a traditional harvest festival in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu that honors the Sun God for a bountiful harvest. It is celebrated with elaborate rituals, feasts, and many other cultural festivities.

What is Bhogi Pongal?

Bhogi Pongal is a festival dedicated to Lord Indra, the rain god, marking the beginning of the harvest season. It symbolizes discarding old belongings to make way for new beginnings and prosperity.

Disclaimer: Indian Eagle claims no credit for the images featured on its blog site. All the visual content is copyrighted to its respective owners only. We mention the source name of the image whenever possible and found. However, if we miss acknowledging the owner’s source, please contact us. In case, owners don’t want us to use their images, we will remove them promptly. We believe in providing proper attribution to the original author, artist, and photographer.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here