With meaningful celebrations turning to rituals, Pongal too will be observed like any other religious ceremony, when the first day of the Tamil month ‘Thai’ dawns on January 14. Nevertheless, before the advent of religion in ancient Tamil society, all celebrations were secular and observed with the meaning of people’s repose and refreshment after they toiled hard on earth, as how school children require a recess from their routine studies.
With meaningful celebrations turning to rituals, Pongal too will be observed like any other religious ceremony, when the first day of the Tamil month ‘Thai’ dawns on January 14. Nevertheless, before the advent of religion in ancient Tamil society, all celebrations were secular and observed with the meaning of people’s repose and refreshment after they toiled hard on earth, as how school children require a recess from their routine studies.
In Coimbatore, when incessant rains filled the Noyyal River and other water bodies, farmers planted seedlings on their fields and celebrated the day as a special occasion. Shaiva Bakthi poet Sundarar, who visited Perur centuries ago, has recorded in his Thevaram that he came across an agricultural couple, who was planting seedlings, and worshipped them. The couple was none but Lord Patteeswarar and his consort Pachai Nayagi! This shows how Sundarar observed the presence of deities in a hard working couple.
In the same manner, farmers celebrated Pongal, as a thanks giving festival to Mother Nature, who helped them enjoy the fruits of their hard work. Though it is named as ‘Pongal’ these days, it was once called ‘Patti Nonbu’ in the rural pockets of Coimbatore. The festival, which is celebrated for three days ( Now four days with the inclusion of Bogi), the eve of the first day, would include ‘Kaappukattuthal’ a ceremony of inserting bunches of Poolaipoo with Veppilai (Aerva Lantana with Neem leaves) into the gaps between the wall and roof tiles of the newly whitewashed house. The first day, farmers would thresh the new harvest of paddy and prepare ‘Pongal’ the delicacy, shared by all, who had contributed their labour for the rich harvest.
The second day, farmers would bathe their oxen, paint their horns in attractive colours and feed them with Pongal. On the third day, groups of young girls would visit the river bank, pluck flowers, play and return home singing in chorus the Coimbatore’s famous folk song “Olai Akka Kondaiyile Oru Saadu Thaazhampoo” This day was called ‘ Poo Parikira Nombi’ ( A festival of plucking flowers) in the yesteryear Coimbatore.
Thus the celebration of Pongal for three days was identified with every member of the family – Parents, their cattle and children. However, with agriculture getting extinct due to failure of monsoon and cultivable lands being sold as real estate plots, the great harvest festival has been reduced to a mere ceremony of availing free rice, sugar and cash - a package of government’s ‘Special Pongal Gift’ Tracing Coimbatore’s Agricultural history. Despite Pongal being a thanksgiving festival after rich harvest from agricultural lands, the history of agriculture in Kongunadu is not without caste discrimination and economic inequality.
With the traditional occupation of the people of Kongunadu being cattle rearing, a permanent agriculture system was introduced only in the 9th century AD when the country came under the Chola rule. Before this landmark, the people of Kongunadu were of nomadic nature moving from place to place driving their herds of cattle. Although the Chola rule helped the people establish permanent settlements by introducing agriculture, the kings too were no exception in exploiting the country’s wealth. It is evident from a Chola king’s arrangement to cover the roof of Chidamparam Natarajar temple with the gold extracted from Kongunadu.
Though Chola kings introduced agriculture in Coimbatore, they did not provide the people with a right to own agricultural lands until 13th century A.D. Even then, the phrase ‘Right to own’ did not mean ‘Right to sell’.Thus, all the agricultural lands were only properties of the government and given on lease to families of the village by a selection through a lucky draw called ‘Karayeedu’. The period of lease was eight years and the tax fixed by the government was one sixth of the land's produce. Exceptionally, cultivable lands were given as gifts to Brahmins praising their divine service at temples. As a result, they possessed vast stretches of agricultural lands at Sulur and leased them to 'Kothukarars' (Members of Thevar community), who further leased to other communities.
Evident to this, the lands are still called after caste names as ‘ Paarpaan Thittu, Karumaan Nilam, Kollan Nilam, Thattaar Nilam, Boyer Nilam, Kuravan Nilam, Pandaram Nilam, Vannan Medu, Parayan Kani, Sakkilian Thottam, Nasuvan Paththu, Kusavan Nilam, Pattakarar Nilam, Thalayari Nilam and so on. Similarly, there were also kinds of agricultural labourers called ‘Adamanathu Atkal’ ( Men mortgaged ) who toiled on agricultural lands just to repay their debts obtained from the landlords. With the introduction of a new law providing right to sell agricultural lands in 16th century, the history of land holding in Coimbatore dates back to about 400 years.
Sources: 1) Sulur Varalaru – By Pulavar Senthalai N Gowthaman
2) Engal Naattupuaram – Kovai Kizhar