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Tambaram, the southern suburb of Chennai, always wears a festive look during Pongal as it gets flooded with sugarcane and other essential items needed to celebrate the harvest festival.
But this year, there were two things that brought down the festive spirit by a few notches – Cyclone Thane that wreaked havoc in Cuddalore district and Pondicherry, and the high prices of the essential items.
These two issues upset the farmers/vendors of sugarcane as also the consumer. Due to fewer sugarcane landing in Tambaram, following the cyclone, a pair of sugarcane sold for Rs 100. Other things like flowers, fruits, turmeric, banana leaves, used for the Pongal pooja, though found in every shop in the markets, were also pricey this year.
With the prices skyrocketing, people celebrated this Pongal on a low budget, affecting the small-time businessmen and farmers.
This time, sale of mud pots, an important part of Pongal celebrations as the sweet pongal is made in a new earthen pot every year, had also decreased. Though one reason may be Thane, social observers say that the other main reason is that Tamils are forgetting their traditional customs due to families turning nuclear.
P Suganya
S Ashwiniprabu
A Poulin Vinnarasi
R Merlina
A Hamsaveni
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