Pongal 2027
पोंगलPongal is Tamil Nadu's four-day harvest festival. New rice is boiled with milk and jaggery until it overflows, and the Sun, rain and cattle are thanked.
Next: Thursday, 14 January 2027
Quick answer
Pongal 2027 falls on 14 January 2027 to 17 January 2027 (Start of the Tamil month of Thai (Makara Sankranti)). In 2026 it fell on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
Dates follow the Delhi panchang and can shift by a day in your region, so confirm the muhurat with a local panchang.
Pongal 2027 is celebrated from Thursday, 14 January to Sunday, 17 January, with the main day, Thai Pongal, on Friday, 15 January. It is the four-day harvest festival of Tamil Nadu and Tamil communities worldwide, held as the Sun enters Makara and the Tamil month of Thai begins. The name comes from the dish at its heart: new rice boiled with milk and jaggery until it bubbles over, to cries of “Pongalo Pongal!” The festival thanks Surya, the cattle and the earth for the harvest.
Pongal 2027 dates
- Bhogi Pongal: Thursday, 14 January 2027
- Thai Pongal (Surya Pongal): Friday, 15 January 2027
- Mattu Pongal: Saturday, 16 January 2027
- Kaanum Pongal: Sunday, 17 January 2027
In 2026, Thai Pongal fell on Wednesday, 14 January. Pongal coincides with Makar Sankranti elsewhere in India.
Why Pongal is celebrated
Pongal is a thanksgiving for the rice harvest, gathered just before the month of Thai. The overflowing pot is a sign of abundance: a common Tamil saying, “Thai pirandhal vazhi pirakkum”, means “when Thai is born, a way opens”, a hope that the new month brings fresh opportunity. Bhogi honours Indra as the giver of rain, Thai Pongal honours the Sun, and Mattu Pongal honours the cattle that plough the fields. A popular story tells that Shiva sent his bull Basava (Nandi) to earth and, as a result of a mistaken message, cattle were bound to help humans farm, which is why they are thanked on Mattu Pongal. That story belongs to folk tradition.
How Pongal is celebrated
- Bhogi: old belongings are burned in a bonfire and homes are cleaned for the new season.
- Thai Pongal: sweet pongal is cooked outdoors in a new clay pot facing the rising Sun; when it boils over, the family calls out “Pongalo Pongal” and offers it to Surya with sugarcane and turmeric plants.
- Kolam: large rice-flour designs decorate every doorway.
- Mattu Pongal: cattle are bathed, their horns painted and garlanded, and fed pongal; Jallikattu is held in parts of Tamil Nadu.
- Kaanum Pongal: families visit relatives and go on outings; sisters pray for their brothers’ wellbeing.
The meaning of Pongal
Pongal is gratitude made visible: the Sun, the rain, the animals and the soil each get their day. The overflowing pot carries a simple wish for a year of plenty. See all festivals on the Hindu festival calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When is Pongal in 2027?
Pongal 2027 runs from Bhogi on 14 January to Kaanum Pongal on 17 January. Thai Pongal, the main day, is on Friday, 15 January.
What are the four days of Pongal?
Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal.
Why does the Pongal pot overflow?
Boiling the new rice until it spills over is a sign of abundance and prosperity for the year ahead.
Sources and further reading
- Hindu festival dates 2026 (Samvat panchang calendar)
- Hindu festival dates 2027 (Samvat panchang calendar)
Read our editorial policy on how scripture, Purana and folk tradition are labelled.
