Pongal Village Festival

I wish I'd seen this poster before I booked !

The local tourist office organised a coach trip to a village for the Pongal festival. This is widely celebrated in Tamil Nadu state, and the government organises tourist trips for publicity. I had no idea what to expect, but it was free and at worst would show me another side of local life.

I should have known there would be shades of Benidorm Club 18-30 for this event, but the village made a big effort to put on a good show. . . .even if this did mean that we were hounded by journalists, cameramen and photographers always looking for photo-opportunities.

The coach was almost identical to the one that took me on a tour of Jaipur when I first came to India in 1970.

When we arrived, we were greeted with full honours, garlanded and marked with coloured powder to the forehead.

Tourists were encouraged to join the band

 

Throughout Tamil Nadu, whenever there is cause for celebration, people decorate the ground in front of their home with patterns made of coloured powder

Every vehicle, bike and motorbike carried a bunch of white flowers 

We were seated in a clearing on the outskirts of the village 

for a demonstration of tribal dancing (I feared the worst!)

Like most traditional country dancing – from Austrian thigh-slapping to prancing English Morris Dancers, the local versions were slightly ridiculous but very clever. This man stood on a ball and balanced a decorated vase on his head. 

Love the costume, – don’t you? 

Predictably, he then hauled people up out of the audience to make fools of themselves. Now once upon a time I would have fought to get up their and join in. 

No, I have not grown old! I have matured elegantly.

This man had a flexible 10ft steel blade that he swished through the air at high speed, narrowly missing the front row of the audience (and the band played on . . .)

The audience were not invited to join in with the fire dances.

In this one the man danced energetically and then spun round with a sort of iron candelabra that he twirled precariously.

In this one this man hurled a bundle of flaming rags around his head. 

Finally, the entire village went to a feast in the village hall seated at long tables and eating in the traditional style, with the fingers of the right hand, off banana leaves.

I found myself sitting next to two women who blog under the name “dusty old bags.” They were not much younger than I, and have been making various trips all over the world, by motor-bike. The current 3-month trip in India is sponsored by Harley-Davison and they are speaking at a big biking event. 

You meet some amazing people when you travel.