Pongal is a classic Tamil dish and a Symbol of South Indian cuisine with a festival named after it. It is one dish that is accurately soaked in cow ghee with historical and mythological facts illustrating its glory.

Pongal is a combination of rice and dal; it was an act of genius prepared by an incredible cook by mistake. This dish became popular in 200 CE when ‘Indravizhya’ festival, celebrated at Poombuhar came to be called as Pongal. Popular folklore also connects this festival with the arrival of Nandi on Lord Shiva’s order to help us common folks harvest crops.

The main ingredient of this dish is rice, which was known to most of the settlements across the world. Yet, no other civilization had a similar five-step recipe, this rarity made Pongal a splendid invention of its time.

This dish is cooked in various variants like the Prasadam served in a temple called Chakkara Pongal, Venn Pongal – the white Pongal as a breakfast special, Melagu as a spicy variant and Puli Pongal, a specialty made with tamarind and served at dinner.

India Post has issued this commemorative stamp to celebrate the festive cuisine of India in 2017.

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