UNIVERSAL
FESTIVAL PONGAL
N.Nandhivarman
Tamils are celebrating Pongal. In
North India it is known as Sankranthi. This festival of harvest is universal
one practiced by remote tribes on earth and people of various cultures, which
again proves the oneness of humanity.
In the Volga region when the Sun was
moving in the direction of spring, people came together to forecast the future
harvest. The Mari and Chuvashes, tribal groups in Volga region prepared special
food for this festival of harvest. These festivals were connected with first
ploughing and sowing. The festivities took place in the field. A little bit of
food was sacrificed to Mother Earth.
Slav people had their sun deities.
They were called Svarog, Dazhbog, and Khors.The word god (bag) is same in all
Slavic languages. You can see the resemblance with Iranian baga and Indian
bhagwan with the Slavic bag. These similarities also remind us that beliefs are
universal.
The Zulus of South Africa worshipped
the Goddess Nomkubulwana. They believed that this goddess made land fertile and
was the mythical originator of agriculture. Only women did all farming work
among Zulu tribes and they only performed rites and chanted prayers for a good
harvest.
Almost all people of the Caucasus
region worshipped guardians of harvest and other kind of livestock. Does it
make us think about Maattu Pongal, thanksgiving to cattle prevalent among Tamil
people?
Celtic gods were guardians of
fertility and agriculture. River Gods and Spring Gods were existent. Esus was
the god of plant life.
In Mexico the agrarian influence could
be seen in the Uitzilopochtti cult. During the celebrations held twice a year
an enormous dummy of the God was made out of flour dough and honey. After the
religious rites are over the figure was broken into pieces and eaten by all the
participants.
In the Chinese civilization the cult
of Shen-nong i.e. Divine Farmer is note worthy. The legendary Divine Farmer is
supposed to have invented agriculture. A special sacrificial altar was devoted
to him in Peking, where the emperor solemnly brought offerings. In early spring
every year an important state ceremony was held to mark the first ploughing
season. The Chinese Emperor accompanied by prominent dignitaries ploughed a
furrow on a sacred plot of the land. The God of the land was known as She and
peasants offered sacrifices to her as part of spring and autumn rituals.
In the Shintoist religion of Japan the most revered
Gods are Amaterasu i.e Sun Goddess and Inari i.e. Rice Man, the guardian of
farming portrayed with two rice stalks and often together with a Fox.
In the ancient Egyptian religion the
God Osiris deserves mention. Every year Egyptians celebrated the death and
resurrection of Osiris. The image of Osiris was made out of sown wheat on the
layer of soil that was sprinkled into a special wooden frame. These festivities
lasted 18 days and involved ritual plouging and sowing. Osiris is the direct
personification of grain,
In Asia Minor the Mother of the Gods
was named Ma, Rhea, and Cybele. Her husband was a young god of fertility named
as Attis. There is also another myth about the deity of plant life and
fertility. God Telepinus once suddenly disappeared it is stated. Because of his
disappearance grass dried up. Fields failed to yield crops. Cattle stopped
multiplying. Woman no longer bore children. To put an end to this state of
affairs the other gods organized a search for this God. A bee found him and awakened
him, so goes the myth.
In Greek religion in the agricultural
cult Demeter, the goddess was offered with bloodless offerings like fruits,
grapes, honey combs and freshly reared sheep wool. These offerings were placed
on an altar and covered with olive oil. Numerous such stories, myths and
beliefs could be found in various civilizations. The Greek Goddess Hera wife of
God Zeus was apparently a cow goddess. Signs of cow worship were found in
excavations. It is heartening to note that Tamils worshipping cow goddess in
Maattu Pongal times is a practice found in Greek civilization too.
In the Roman religion in the first
month of spring March, festivities were held in honour of Mars. Faunus was the
guardian angel of live stocks and he was the god of shepherds. At the end of
winter on Feb 17 a jolly holiday Lupercalis was celebrated in her honour. Liber
was the god of wine making. Saturnus the god of sowing. Jupiter the god of
grapes.
Romans too worshipped gods as Pax
(Peace), Spes (Hope), and Virtus (valour), Justitia (Justice), Fortuna
(Happiness) etc. If we analyze at the concepts on religion in various cultures
we can understand its inherent meanings. Mankind had been striving to be
grateful to Nature and agricultural festivities like Pongal demonstrate this
common urge of human race, which is one and indivisible. While Tamil people
hail Pongalo Pongal and thank Nature for its kindness, Harvest festivals of
various civilizations remind us that our festival has universal appeal.
[Courtesy:
New Indian Express dated: 22nd January 2005]
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