Malaysian Festivals

The festival is accordingly celebrated over two days. The first day is devoted to the boiling of milk in a pot to which rice, jaggery and the syrup extracted from crushed sugar cane is added. This sweet rice pudding is offered first to the Sun God, and is then eaten at the climax of a family festive meal.

The second day is dedicated to the oxen that assist the farmers in the rice fields. It is called Mattu (cattle) Pongal. The animals are washed and decorated with straw garlands hung around their necks and horns.



In some instances, quite often in Tamil Nadu, the foreheads and horns of the animals are brightly painted. And the cattle are provided with special foods and given special poojas (offerings) for their faithful assistance.