OOTY: ‘Yaanai Pongal’, which was organized on Wednesday evening at the elephant camp in the Theppakadu area in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) marked the Pongal celebrations in the hills here.
While Wednesday was the day to celebrate ‘Maattu pongal’ to honour and give thanksgiving to cattle in the state, it was ‘Yaanai Pongal’ here in the MTR that hogged the limelight as a good turnout of holiday crowd enjoyed the celebrations.
Nine kumkis were brought to the temple at the elephant camp entrance where priests performed puja. The kumkis were fed sweet pongal, fruits and sugarcane, the special menu for yaanai pongal. The other 15 kumkis lodged in three different camps, also had this special pongal on the occasion.
Tribals and foresters residing in and around MTR took part in good numbers. Deputy Director of the MTR (buffer zone), Pushpakaran, led the festival celebrations.
