Pongal festival falls on the same day each year, on 13th January, coinciding with the festivals of Lohri in Punjab and Goop in Andhra Pradesh.
The Pongal Celebration-
The actual festivities of Pongal begin on 14th January and last for four days. From an astrological standpoint, this is a propitious period because this is the time when the sun enters the Northern Hemisphere. The sun traverses from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer via the Equator (from 14th January to 14th July), and this auspicious movement is termed as uttarayan (summer solstice). The sanctity of the uttarayan period is borne out by an interesting tale from the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. The doyen of the Kaurava clan, Bhishma Pitama, lay on a bed of arrows in the battlefield of Kurukshetra (see Haryana). Though he was blessed with the boon of being the sole arbiter of his own time of death and inspite of being in terrible pain, he waited for the period of uttarayan to breathe his last.
Preparations for the festival of pongal start early and the first thing that is always found in Hindu homes before the start of "Pongal Festival" or "Harvest Festival" is the 'kolam'. This is a form of decoration for the Hindus' homes. This decorative pattern is made with rice flour & is usually drawn on the floor, outside the door in tamilnadu. The kolams serve as a symbol of welcoming guests to the entrance of the house. At the center of the Kolam is a lump of cow-dung, which holds a five-petalled pumpkin flower-a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity.

Pongal kolams are made by people at the doorway of theirs houses, offices, shops and other places, as these kolams help to keep away all the bad things. Pongal is a sweet dish that is cooked on the second day of Pongal celebrations. Delicious food is cooked and served during the four days of Pongal. Pongal songs are an integral part of Pongal festival and people sing many Pongal songs to celebrate Pongal in a perfect way.

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