CCTV Footage Shows Deliberate Smudging of Pongal Rangoli in Tamil Nadu – Sparks Outrage Over Disrespect to Tradition

By HinduTone Staff Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu | January 17, 2026

As Pongal festivities conclude across Tamil Nadu, a wave of anger has spread through social media following the circulation of multiple CCTV clips allegedly showing individuals deliberately walking over and destroying traditional rangoli (kolam) designs created for the festival.

Pongal, celebrated annually from January 14 to 17, is one of the most important harvest festivals in Tamil culture. Families prepare kolams using rice flour at entrances, courtyards, and even on public streets. These intricate patterns—often depicting flowers, birds, pots of abundance, geometric designs, and auspicious symbols—are drawn with devotion to invite prosperity, honor the Sun God, and celebrate agricultural abundance.

Several videos that have gone viral in the past few days reportedly show different incidents:

• Figures wearing abayas walking directly across freshly prepared rangoli without any attempt to step aside.
• Motorbikes riding over wet rice-flour designs, scattering the patterns.
• Men passing through kolams at night, seemingly unconcerned.
• One particularly concerning clip showing a child, in the presence of an adult, intentionally stepping on and kicking at the designs, smudging large sections.

Many viewers and netizens have described these acts as deliberate disrespect and, in some cases, as targeted attempts to insult Hindu traditions during a major religious and cultural festival. Comments on various platforms have called the behavior “cultural vandalism” and demanded police action and community awareness.

Others have offered a more neutral perspective, noting that in densely populated urban and semi-urban areas like parts of Kanchipuram, many kolams extend onto public footpaths, sidewalks, and even portions of roads. In such locations, accidental stepping or driving over the designs can occur simply due to space constraints and heavy footfall during festival days. These observers argue that without clear evidence of intent in every case, it is premature to label all incidents as malicious.

As of the evening of January 17, 2026, no official police complaints or FIRs have been publicly reported in connection with these specific videos. Local authorities in the districts where the footage originated have not issued any formal statements. The absence of an official response has itself become a point of criticism among sections of the online Hindu community, who accuse officials of reluctance to address what they see as religiously motivated incidents.

Pongal otherwise passed peacefully in most parts of the state with traditional observances: the boiling of Pongal (sweet rice dish) in new earthen pots, cattle worship, kolam competitions in many villages and towns, temple special pujas, and community feasts. The four-day festival—Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Maattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal—remains a cornerstone of Tamil identity and agrarian heritage.

The controversy over the rangoli-smudging videos has once again highlighted the delicate balance required when sacred or cultural symbols are placed in shared public spaces during large-scale celebrations. Some voices within the community are now calling for better planning, such as confining elaborate kolams to private compounds or clearly demarcated festival zones, to reduce the chances of both accidental and intentional damage.

HinduTone will continue to follow any official developments or statements from police and district administration regarding these incidents