South India celebrates Pongal

Chennai/Trichy, January 15 (ANI): Scores of tourists from across the world thronged Chennai on Sunday to celebrate Pongal, the Harvest festival, with traditional fervour and gaiety. The harvest festival is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai and hence is also known as Thai Pongal. People get up early in the morning and prepare traditional dishes of Chakarai Pongal, and the customary salted dish known as Ven Pongal, made with rice, dal and dollops of ghee and fried cashew. Amidst festivities, international tourists, who participated in the procession, expressed their happiness and excitement. The locals in Trichy were also in high spirits as they rejoiced by preparing the traditional dishes and exchanging sweets.