Pongal Stamp released on 12th Jan 2006
| Denomination :500 Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million Date of Issue : 12-01-2006 Theme : Festival |
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Pongal, one of the most important festivals, particularly of the Tamil people, is a thanksgiving ritual for a bountiful harvest which is celebrated with great joy one and all. This festival follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on the same days each year. The actual festivities of Pongal begin on 13th January and lasts for four days. From an astronomical standpoint, this is an important period because this is the time when the sun enters the Northern Hemisphere. The sun traverses from the Tropic of Capricon to the Tropic of Cancer via the Equator from 14th January to 14th July, and this movement is termed as Uttarayan(Summer solstice). The festival also marks the withdrawal of the North East Monsoons. In essence, the festivities of Pongal mark a reaffirmation of traditional values revolving around family and sharing. The Department of Posts honours this great tradition and also shares in the happy festivities by issuing this commemorative stamp on Pongal.