Thai Pongal 2026 - Tamil harvest festival dates and all four days.
| Year | Bhogi | Thai Pongal (Main) | Maatu Pongal | Kaanum Pongal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14 Jan | 15 Jan 2024 (Mon) | 16 Jan | 17 Jan |
| 2025 | 13 Jan | 14 Jan 2025 (Tue) | 15 Jan | 16 Jan |
| 2026 | 13 Jan | 14 Jan 2026 (Wed) | 15 Jan | 16 Jan |
| 2027 | 13 Jan | 14 Jan 2027 (Thu) | 15 Jan | 16 Jan |
| 2028 | 14 Jan | 15 Jan 2028 (Sat) | 16 Jan | 17 Jan |
| 2029 | 13 Jan | 14 Jan 2029 (Sun) | 15 Jan | 16 Jan |
| 2030 | 13 Jan | 14 Jan 2030 (Mon) | 15 Jan | 16 Jan |
Pongal is Tamil Nadu's most important harvest festival, celebrated over four days in the Tamil month of Thai (mid-January). The word "Pongal" means "to boil over" or "to overflow" in Tamil, symbolising abundance and prosperity. The festival marks the end of the northeast monsoon and the beginning of the sun's northward journey (Uttarayan), coinciding with Makar Sankranti celebrated across North India. Pongal has been observed for at least 2,000 years and references to it appear in Sangam literature dating to the first centuries CE.
Pongal spans four days: Bhogi Pongal (discarding old possessions and lighting bonfires), Thai Pongal (the main day, when the harvest rice dish "sakkarai pongal" is cooked in a clay pot outdoors and allowed to boil over as an auspicious sign), Maatu Pongal (honouring cattle with garlands and kolam decorations), and Kaanum Pongal (a day for family outings and visiting relatives). Thai Pongal always falls on January 14 or 15, the exact date determined by the solar calendar's transition into Makaram (Capricorn).
Pongal is a gazetted public holiday in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and is celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide - from Sri Lanka and Malaysia to Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The Tamil diaspora, estimated at over 80 million globally, observes Pongal as a central expression of cultural identity. In Tamil Nadu, approximately 8 crore people celebrate the festival, making it one of the largest harvest festivals in South Asia. The government of Tamil Nadu organises cultural events, Jallikattu (traditional bull-taming sport), and community Pongal cooking competitions during this period.