Kaanum Pongal: The Last Day of Pongal, for Visits and Outings

Quick answer: Kaanum Pongal is the fourth and last day of Pongal, kept for visiting relatives, paying respect to elders and family outings. In 2027 it falls on Sunday 17 January in India per the panchang. It is a different observance from Kanu Pidi, the women's morning ritual of rice offerings, which many families keep a day earlier.

When is Kaanum Pongal in 2027?

In India, Kaanum Pongal is on Sunday 17 January 2027, two days after Thai Pongal on Friday 15 January. Thai Pongal falls on 15 January in India per the panchang; some government lists mark 14 January.

Kaanum Pongal is always the second day after your local Thai Pongal. In North America and the UK, Thai Pongal 2027 is on Thursday 14 January, so Drik Panchang gives Kaanum Pongal on Saturday 16 January for New York and London. In Singapore and Malaysia the dates follow India's. For other cities see our Pongal dates abroad page, and confirm with your local panchang or temple priest.

What is Kaanum Pongal?

The Tamil word kaanum means "seeing". After two days of rituals at home, the fourth day is for seeing people: relatives, elders and friends. It has no fixed puja of its own. Families go visiting, younger members seek the blessings of elders, and many go out together to temples, parks, beaches or riverbanks. A 2021 essay on the Sangam.org site describes it as a day of family gatherings, chiefly kept in villages, with outings to temples, monuments and beaches, and in cities such as Chennai and Madurai, visits to museums, parks, beaches and zoos.

Kaanum Pongal and Kanu Pidi are not the same

The names sound alike, which causes confusion.

Accounts of the day differ. A 2021 essay on Sangam.org says some communities keep Kanu on the third day, Mattu Pongal, as a pre-dawn ritual for women only. Mylapore Times, reporting a family observance in Chennai in January 2026, describes it as the day after Pongal. Some accounts place it on the last day instead. Follow your family's custom. For how Kanu Pidi is done, read our Mattu Pongal and Kanu Pidi guide.

What does a family do on Kaanum Pongal?

1. Morning. A bath, a lamp at the family shrine, and a kolam at the doorway, often simpler than on Thai Pongal.
2. Leftovers and a light meal. Many homes eat the remaining Pongal, sugarcane and festival dishes, with a variety rice lunch.
3. Visiting elders. Younger family members visit grandparents, aunts and uncles to receive their blessings; in many families, elders give children a small gift or money.
4. Hosting. Families who stay home receive visitors with sweets, sugarcane and Pongal.
5. Outings. In the afternoon many families go out together: a temple, a beach, a park, a zoo, or a relative's village.
6. Evening. Families return home, and the festival ends.

The children's part

Children are at the centre of the visits: they receive blessings and small gifts from elders and spend time with cousins. Older children can help carry Pongal and sugarcane to relatives and help an elder who cannot travel. Make sure every young child on an outing knows a parent's phone number or wears a tag with it.

Uzhavar Thirunal: the Tamil Nadu holiday

In Tamil Nadu, the 2027 holiday list as reported gives Pongal on Friday 15 January, Thiruvalluvar Day on Saturday 16 January and Uzhavar Thirunal on Sunday 17 January. Uzhavar Thirunal means "farmers' festival day", a holiday honouring farmers that falls on the same day as Kaanum Pongal. We have not yet seen the government order itself, so check the official list before planning travel. In 2027 Kaanum Pongal falls on a Sunday, so many families will have the whole weekend.

Mukkanuma: the Telugu fourth day

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the fourth and last day of Sankranti is Mukkanuma, on Sunday 17 January 2027 per Drik Panchang (Hyderabad). It follows Kanuma, the day for honouring cattle. Like Kaanum Pongal, it closes the festival with family time and visits, though customs, including food, vary by district and family. Read more in our Kanuma and Mukkanuma guide and Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Beach and outing safety

Kaanum Pongal draws very large crowds to beaches, parks and zoos in Tamil Nadu. For Kaanum Pongal 2024, Greater Chennai Police announced that the public would not be allowed into the sea for bathing at Marina and Elliot's beaches, put up temporary fencing along the coast, posted an anti-drowning team of the Coastal Security Group along the shore, and asked parents to tie an identity card to each child with the child's name, the parent's name, address and mobile number (The News Minute, 15 January 2024). Look for the police announcement for 2027 nearer the day.

• Do not enter the sea where bathing is banned, and keep to the fenced areas. The sea can be dangerous even when it looks calm.
• Tag small children with a parent's name and phone number, and agree on a meeting point if anyone is separated. In Chennai, police assistance booths help reunite lost children.
• Go early and plan transport. Roads and public transport near popular places are crowded.
• Carry water, keep elders out of the midday sun, and keep valuables close in crowds.
• Leave no litter on beaches and in parks.

Kaanum Pongal abroad

In 2027 Kaanum Pongal falls on Saturday 16 January in the USA, Canada and the UK, which suits it well: it is a weekend day. Many Tamil temples and associations hold their main Pongal programme on the weekend of 16 and 17 January, and families use it to visit relatives, call grandparents in India and meet friends. In winter, an outing may mean a temple visit or a family lunch rather than a beach; in Australia it is summer, so beach safety advice applies there too: swim between the flags at patrolled beaches. Follow your own temple's announcement for programme times.

See our country hubs for the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of Kaanum Pongal?

Kaanum means "seeing" in Tamil. Kaanum Pongal, the last day of Pongal, is the day for seeing relatives and friends, receiving elders' blessings and going out together as a family.

Is Kaanum Pongal the same as Kanu Pidi?

No. Kanu Pidi is a women's morning ritual in which small balls of festival rice are offered to crows with prayers for brothers and the family. Kaanum Pongal is the day of visits and outings. Many families keep Kanu on the morning after Thai Pongal, but customs differ.

Is there a puja on Kaanum Pongal?

There is no special puja for the day. Families light the lamp at home as usual and may visit a temple. The rituals of Pongal fall on Thai Pongal and Mattu Pongal.

Is Kaanum Pongal a holiday in Tamil Nadu?

Yes, as Uzhavar Thirunal. As reported from the 2027 list, it falls on Sunday 17 January. Check the official government list before you plan.

What is the Telugu equivalent of Kaanum Pongal?

Mukkanuma, the fourth day of Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, on Sunday 17 January 2027 per Drik Panchang. It follows Kanuma, the cattle festival.

Can you swim at Marina Beach on Kaanum Pongal?

In recent years Greater Chennai Police have banned sea bathing at Marina and Elliot's beaches on Kaanum Pongal and fenced the shoreline. Expect the same and follow the police announcement for 2027.

Sources

• Drik Panchang, Kaanum Pongal 2027 date (Chennai, New York, London): https://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/pongal/kaanum-pongal-date-time.html?geoname-id=1264527&year=2027 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Drik Panchang, Mukkanuma 2027 date (Hyderabad): https://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/sankranti/mukkanuma/mukkanuma-date-time.html?geoname-id=1269843&year=2027 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• The News Minute, "Chennai police to deploy 15,500 personnel for Kaanum Pongal on Jan 17", 15 January 2024: https://www.thenewsminute.com/amp/story/tamil-nadu/chennai-police-to-deploy-15500-personnel-for-kaanum-pongal-on-jan-17 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Anuradha Srinivasan, "The Many Pongals of the Tamil People", Sangam.org, 12 January 2021: https://sangam.org/?p=17640 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Mylapore Times, report on a Tirunelveli Kanu tradition kept in Mylapore, 16 January 2026: https://www.mylaporetimes.com/2026/01/tirunelveli-tradition-followed-in-mylapore-for-kanu-pongal/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Goodreturns, Tamil Nadu holidays 2027 (report of the state list; government order not yet seen): https://www.goodreturns.in/news/tamil-nadu-holidays-2027-government-announces-24-public-holidays-check-full-list-and-long-weekends-1543037.html (accessed 12 November 2026)

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

Related guides

• Pongal: the four days, dates and customs
• Mattu Pongal and Kanu Pidi
• Thai Pongal: the main day of Pongal
• Kanuma and Mukkanuma
• Makar Sankranti 2027: date and Punya Kaal city-wise
• Makar Sankranti and Pongal dates abroad