Sweet smell of prosperity

Crowds gathered in Little India yesterday to celebrate Pongal, a harvest festival that is typically observed by the Tamil community. Pongal is both the name of the festival and its signature dish - a sweet mixture of milk and rice cooked over fire in
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Crowds gathered in Little India yesterday to celebrate Pongal, a harvest festival that is typically observed by the Tamil community. Pongal is both the name of the festival and its signature dish - a sweet mixture of milk and rice cooked over fire in a large earthenware pot. Having the mixture boil over is considered a symbol of abundance and prosperity. Today, cattle at a mini-farm in Hastings Road will be garlanded and thanksgiving prayers offered to honour the animals that plough the fields and bring in the harvest.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 15, 2017, with the headline Sweet smell of prosperity. Subscribe