Thai Pongal: What the Day Means and How Families Keep It

Quick answer: Thai Pongal, also called Surya Pongal, is the main day of the Pongal festival and the first day of the Tamil month Thai. In 2027 it falls on Friday 15 January in India per the panchang. Families draw a kolam, boil new rice with milk and jaggery in a new pot until it overflows, call out "Pongalo Pongal!" and offer it to the Sun.

When is Thai Pongal in 2027?

Thai Pongal is the first day of Thai, which begins when the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn in the sidereal zodiac). In 2027 that moment is 9:14 PM IST on Thursday 14 January, after sunset in India, so Thai 1 and Thai Pongal fall on Friday 15 January in India per the panchang; some government lists mark 14 January.

Abroad, the day follows the local Sankranti. Drik Panchang gives Thai Pongal on Friday 15 January 2027 in Singapore and Malaysia, and on Thursday 14 January in the USA, Canada and the UK, where the moment falls in the local daytime. In Australia the moment falls before dawn on Friday 15 January in Sydney and Melbourne, so the observed day there is Friday. Our Makar Sankranti and Pongal dates abroad page has more cities. We know of no reliable published muhurat for boiling the Pongal in 2027, so we do not give one: follow your family custom, and confirm with your local panchang or temple priest.

What is Thai Pongal?

The word pongal means "boiling over" and is also the name of the dish. Thai Pongal is the day a Tamil household cooks the new season's rice for the first time and offers it to Surya, the Sun, in thanks for the harvest. It sits in the middle of four days:

Is Thai Pongal the Tamil New Year?

No. The Tamil New Year, Puthandu, falls on the first day of Chithirai in mid-April. The idea that the year begins on Thai 1 is a debated position: Tamil Nadu declared Thai 1 the Tamil New Year by an Act in 2008 and repealed that Act in 2011, restoring the Chithirai date. Families and organisations hold different views; this page treats Thai Pongal as the harvest festival it is for everyone.

How does a family keep Thai Pongal, from morning to evening?

Early morning

1. Bath and new clothes. The family rises early, bathes and, where possible, wears new clothes.
2. Kolam. The front yard or doorway is washed and a large kolam is drawn in rice flour, often with a pot, sugarcane or the Sun in the design. Drik Panchang notes that these designs are called Pongal kolam in Tamil and Sankranti muggu in Telugu.
3. The hearth. In villages and houses with a yard, a temporary hearth of bricks or stones is set up outside, facing the rising Sun. In flats, the kitchen stove is used.

The new pot and the boil-over

1. Dressing the pot. A new pot, traditionally clay and now often brass or stainless steel, is marked with turmeric, kumkum and sandal paste, and a fresh turmeric plant is tied around its neck.
2. Cooking. Milk, or milk and water, is heated in the pot with the new rice.
3. The boil-over. The family watches for the moment the milk rises and spills over the rim. As it does, everyone calls out "Pongalo Pongal!", a festive cry of joy. The overflow is taken as a sign of plenty in the home in the year ahead.
4. Finishing the dish. Jaggery, ghee, cardamom and cashews are added to make sakkarai (sweet) Pongal. Many families make ven (savoury) Pongal as well.

The offering to Surya

1. Naivedyam. The Pongal is placed on a banana leaf facing the Sun with sugarcane, bananas, coconut and turmeric. Drik Panchang notes that the fresh Pongal is offered to the Sun first.
2. Prayer. Families pray in their own way. Some offer water to the Sun (arghya) and some recite the Aditya Hridayam, a hymn to the Sun from the Yuddha Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana; use your family prayer book or ask your priest for the text. For the full step-by-step puja, with samagri and substitutes, see our Thai Pongal puja at home guide, and for arghya, how to offer water to the Sun.

The rest of the day

1. The family meal. The offered Pongal is shared first, then a festive vegetarian lunch.
2. Visiting and sharing. Pongal and sugarcane are taken to neighbours and relatives, and many families visit a temple in the evening.

For the dish itself, see our sakkarai Pongal recipe and ven Pongal recipe.

Safety with the pot and the stove

• Clay pots on modern stoves. A clay pot can crack on a high flame or if it is heated dry. Season a new clay pot as its maker advises, keep the flame low to medium and use a heat diffuser on gas. Clay pots do not work on induction hobs; use a steel or brass pot there.
• Boil-over indoors. Stand the pot on a tray, keep the overflow away from the burner, and never leave the pot unattended.
• Smoke alarms. Use the kitchen fan and do not disable smoke alarms.
• Allergens. Pongal usually contains milk, ghee and cashews; tell guests, and make a version without nuts if needed.

How is the day kept in Tamil, Telugu and other homes?

In Telugu homes, Sankranti day centres on the muggulu, new clothes, the family meal and visits; see our Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana guide and the Telugu chakkara pongali recipe. For every region, read our Makar Sankranti 2027 pillar and our guide to the festival's names across India.

Thai Pongal and the Tamil Nadu holidays

Pongal is a state holiday in Tamil Nadu. As reported from the state's 2027 holiday list, Pongal falls on Friday 15 January, Thiruvalluvar Day on Saturday 16 January and Uzhavar Thirunal on Sunday 17 January 2027. Thiruvalluvar Day honours the poet Thiruvalluvar, author of the Tirukkural, and Uzhavar Thirunal means "farmers' festival day". We have not yet seen the government order itself, so check the official list before you plan travel. In Sri Lanka, Tamil Thai Pongal Day, Friday 15 January 2027, is a public, bank and mercantile holiday. In Singapore, Pongal is not a public holiday in 2027 (Ministry of Manpower list).

The children's part

• Drawing the kolam with an adult, or colouring it in.
• Watching the pot from a safe distance and leading the "Pongalo Pongal!" call when it boils over.
• Sugarcane. Peeled and cut into small pieces for younger children.
• Taking Pongal to neighbours with a parent.

Keep small children well away from the open hearth or stove and the hot pot.

Thai Pongal abroad

In the USA, Canada and the UK, Thai Pongal 2027 is on a Thursday, a working and school day, in the middle of winter. Most families:

• Cook the Pongal on the stove in the early morning before work, often in a steel pot.
• Do the Surya offering at a window facing east, or simply facing the morning Sun indoors.
• Draw a small kolam inside the front door or use a kolam sticker or mat where outdoor chalk is impractical.
• Join the temple or Tamil association celebration on the weekend of 16 and 17 January; follow your own temple's announcement.

See our country hubs for the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and Surya puja at home for NRIs.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called Thai Pongal?

Thai is the Tamil month that begins on this day, and pongal means "boiling over", the name of both the ritual and the dish. Surya Pongal is another name, because the Pongal is offered to the Sun.

Is Thai Pongal the same as Makar Sankranti?

They fall on the same day because both mark the Sun's entry into Makara. Thai Pongal is the Tamil way of keeping it, with the Pongal offering at its heart; other regions keep the day with their own names and customs.

What time should the Pongal be boiled?

We have found no reliable published muhurat for 2027. Many families boil the Pongal in the morning after bathing, as the Sun rises. Follow your family custom and confirm with your local panchang or temple priest.

Why must the Pongal boil over?

The overflow is the heart of the custom: it is taken as a sign of plenty in the home for the year ahead. Families call out "Pongalo Pongal!" at that moment.

Can I make Pongal in a pressure cooker or steel pot?

Yes. Many families abroad and in flats use a steel pot on the stove so they can still see the boil-over, then finish the dish. A pressure cooker is fine for the meal, but there is no boil-over to watch.

Is Thai Pongal a holiday in Singapore?

No. Pongal is not one of Singapore's public holidays in 2027, according to the Ministry of Manpower list. Sri Lanka does mark Tamil Thai Pongal Day, Friday 15 January 2027, as a public holiday.

Sources

• Drik Panchang, Thai Pongal 2027 date (Chennai): https://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/pongal/thai-pongal-date-time.html?geoname-id=1264527&year=2027 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• India Code, The Tamil Nadu Tamil New Year (Declaration) Repeal Act, 2011: https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/19525/1/the_tamil_nadu_tamil_new_year_%28declaration%29_repeal_act_2011.pdf (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Ministry of Manpower, Singapore, public holidays 2027: https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/public-holidays (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Bank holidays 2027: https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/about/about-the-bank/bank-holidays-2027 (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)
• HinduTone date file for Makar Sankranti 2027 (Drik Panchang ingress 9:14 PM IST and city dates abroad)

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

Related guides

• Pongal: the four days, dates and customs
• Thai Pongal puja at home
• Bhogi: the day before Thai Pongal
• Mattu Pongal and Kanu Pidi
• Makar Sankranti 2027: date and Punya Kaal city-wise
• Sakkarai Pongal recipe