Paul and I took our last walking tour yesterday – Dhobis, Saris & a Spot of Curry. Carol was our guide and quite a curry cook! Who knew there were so many little notes of interest in just a couple city blocks: the smells, Tekka Centre, a Parrot Astrologer and sari tying and the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.
This was the second time to Little India for me – if you remember I posted some pictures of the temple and a spice mill previously. This time I got Paul to go with me.
PONGAL & THE SRI VEERAMAKALIAMMAN TEMPLE
Little India was teeming with activity – Southern/Tamil Indians are celebrating their Harvest Festival, Pongal (Jan. 9-17 – officially Jan. 14th – a National Holiday in India). The Sugar Cane is sold at almost every market and I even got video of a guy riding off on a motorcycle with his sugar cane for the ceremonial rice dish: Pongal.
Special Sweets for the Festival:
“Pongal” in Tamil means “boil over or spill over.” This is to give thanks for prosperity and abundance/bounty. Pongal is cooked until the milk spills over. At that point, cries of “pongollo ponggal!” can be heard. One of the other sayings people ask each other is, “Has the milk boiled over in your house?” It was originally celebrated by farmers to ensure a bountiful harvest but it is now celebrated in S’pore as the start of the “auspicious” month of Thai.
On my first visit to the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple there wasn’t the sound of chants, drums and clarinets, so this visit was extra special – we couldn’t hear Carol because of the music but it was thrilling to be a part of this yearly festival. Video below…
We found out that Hinduism only has one God and that the statues really tell stories/legends. Hindus do not worship animals but they are regarded well and used for transport. As you know, the cow is sacred (these animals are painted and adorned with garlands during Pongal). It is good luck when a statue has the head of an elephant. In the wild, elephants always create a path for the other migrating animals, meaning elephants are a path to good fortune.
It is tradition to ring these bells on the door when entering and leaving -
Below you’ll see the decorations that line Serangoon Rd .
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