Pongal Celebration in Tamil Nadu, Day Three

The final day of Pongal is known as Mattu Pongal. This day is dedicated to India's favorite animal - the cow. It is a thanks for the milk that cows provide during the year, as well as their help in the field.  On this day, cows are given the royal treatment - a bath, horns painted and decorated,  adorned with "jewelry," and given pongal rice. They are then taken to the village centers for additional celebrations.

Here are a few photos of pongal cows I've taken in past years.

You can read more about my visit to a village on Mattu Pongal on my past blog entries http://melissaenderle.blogspot.com/2009/01/mattu-pongal-visit-to-village-part-1.html

http://melissaenderle.blogspot.com/2009/01/mattu-pongal-trip-to-village-part-2.html

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