How Loyola College bought the soul of Tamil Nadu with its Pongal festivities

In Chennai’s chilly January Loyola College took a deep inhale. Mann Manam, which translates to fragrance of the soil, is the college’s Pongal festival, and it brought with it the joy of harvest.

Held at the Jubilee Quadrangle on campus, the festival revolved around honouring traditions of rural Tamil Nadu.

There were cultural performances and games that pay tribute to festival. The event was attended by Tamil folk singer Pushpavanam Kuppusaamy and his wife, Anitha Kuppusaamy.

“Loyola College’s Mann Manam is a celebration of Pongal that honours Tamil heritage, agrarian roots, and our bond with mother Earth and one another. It showcases rich folk arts, and the true spirit of harvest,” said Fr Justin Prabhu SJ, director, Loyola Students Support Services and chief coordinator of Mann Manam.

Loyola College invited 15 cultural teams from across Tamil Nadu to showcase various cultural performances, particularly through folk art forms such as therukoothu, baduga dance, ammanaatam, karagam, thadukku karagam, mayilatum, marakalatam and more.

“I performed karagattam, a traditional folk dance dedicated to the rain god Mariamman. Our main objective is not only to display our culture but also to help people understand it. This dance form has been practised for over a thousand years and is an essential part of our culture and traditions,” said Anuradha, a karagattam dancer.

Each department set up their own booth, cooking Pongal in earthen pots and hosted a competition.

Rangolis were made, and stalks of sugarcanes were set up. 

There were several activities that brought back old rural traditions of Pongal, including stone lifting, uriyadi, guess the grain, and a joyride of a bullock cart ride around campus.

“It was more than just an event for us; the student council and students alike wanted to reflect the values and the traditions of Pongal, while keeping the fun alive. It is easy to forget one’s traditions, however, holding on to your heritage through activities like this keeps the soul of the festival alive,” said Ashish Antony, part of the organising team of Loyola student council.

The festivities ended with a DJ night.

While the joy of Pongal lies in its time-honoured traditions, the true essence lies in celebrating community.