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KUALA LUMPUR, January 13, 2012 (Bernama.com): Indians in Malaysia are gearing up for Pongal celebrations on Sunday, January 15. It is celebrated during the 10th month of the Tamil calendar to mark the harvest of crops from the fields and to offer thanks to mother earth, the sun and God for a bountiful harvest. Malaysia Hindu Sangam president R.S. Mohan Shan said Pongal is celebrated worldwide by Indians who symbolise the festival by boiling rice from freshly harvested paddy with milk and brown sugar in a new clay pot until it ‘boils over,” which is the literal meaning of the word Pongal in Tamil. Witnessing the boiling over is considered good luck and would bring prosperity to the household, he added. He noted that the festival has now become a celebration for everyone in the country as Malays and Chinese also came together on the day. “For us in Malaysia, it is a celebration for everyone, even ministers, politicians and non-governmental organisations join us in celebrating the festival,” he said.

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