[Thai Pongal is a thanksgiving festival dedicated to the Sun God. It is a four-day festival which according to the Tamil calendar is usually celebrated from January 14 to January 17. Thai Pongal corresponds to Makara Sankranthi, the harvest festival celebrated throughout India.Wikipedia ]
UNIVERSAL
FESTIVAL OF HARVEST
N.Nandhivarman [22.1.2005 ]
[The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated notably by the Chinese and Vietnamese peoples. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar with full moon at night, corresponding to late September to early October of the Gregorian calendar with a full moon at night. Wikipedia ]
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
livestocks 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 an d thank Nature for its
kindness, Harvest festivals of various
civilizations reminds us that our festival has universal appeal.
No comments:
Post a Comment