Pongal Festival at home

Pongal celebrations had been a grand one all these years in my life time here at my home. But this year, parents and grand parents went to Chennai for brother's home. As grandma and dad are both not well, the whole family was not able to travel back to Cuddalore to enjoy the festive celebrations.

So, we were at loss of the grandeur and me, wife and two kids were the only people this time here in Cuddalore to celebrate the Pongal festival.

All these years, there would be grandma who would have been keeping an eye on the traditional earthen stove. This stove is fired with twigs and fire wood. Often we encounter mistakes in maintaining a uniform flame and she intervenes to correct our mistakes.

The mistakes would be

1. We would have pushed too much twigs into the stove and snuff out the flame, resulting in too much smoke engulfing out of the stove.

2. People around would be suffering from soaring eyes due to the smoke. Folks (me or brother) behind the stove usually go away from the spot to escape the burning sensation.
 
3. Grandma would intervene and correct the system of the firewood inside the stove and shortly the fire engulfs, snuffing out our worries.

4. Sometimes  we push in too much twigs and the fire would be blowing in too fiercely and grandma intervenes to maintain uniformity.

So much of these years, we were in for a surprise and challenges in maintaining fire in this stove. At the end we enjoy at the sight of the boiling Paal (Milk) Pongal gushing out of the utensil.

This year was the first time ever in my life in which there is no one to guide us through. I was cooking alone in this challenging earthen stove. Wife was tied up with other chores to keep the festive going through. After setting up the placement of the system, she left. My kids helped in getting the fire wood and twigs nearer to the stove.

So, with a little dose of fear I sat in front of this stove. It was sheer luck that the whole process went on well. I kept to my idea of pushing twigs of small size at uniform intervals into the stove. So, the flame did not get off as well as not to grow much fiercly.

After some 15 minutes the Pongal boiled out and pushed the steel plate off and gave us some ecstatic  interesting moments.

A Pongal enjoyed well !
This too is a first time responsible experience which has come out well.

Happy Pongal!!

Photographer was my elder kid Suriya
Camera : FujiFilm F770EXR