Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

A day to cherish the gentle beasts

A.A. Michael Raj

Festival atmosphere prevailed at the Central Farm of TNAU

COLOURFUL DELIGHT: Bulls during Pongal celebrations at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in the city on Sunday. — Photo: M. Periasamy

Coimbatore: For over a dozen cows and bulls at the Central Farm of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Sunday was a day for festivities and total rest from regular work.

Farm workers gave the animals a brisk rubdown and a quick bath, painted the horns of the quadrupeds, placed garlands of sweet-smelling flowers around the necks of the animals, decked them out with bright coloured satin cloths and adorned them with vermilion marks.

Startled

Shortly after 9 a.m., the farm workers took the decorated animals to the Matheswaran Temple, a short distance from the university campus and offered prayers for good health and prosperity.

Most of the older animals moved at a dignified pace, unfazed by the traffic on the road and the presence of curious onlookers.

However, a pair of young bulls kept tugging at their harnesses, apparently startled by the unfamiliar noises and flurry of activity on the road outside the campus.

Farm staff prevented the animals from panicking by patting and stroking them constantly, besides keeping the young ones tightly bridled.

Pongal puja

On their return from the temple, it was time for Pongal puja, attended by several of the senior staff at the university. Underneath a newly erected pandal, the farm workers had created a box-like structure on the ground, made out of cow dung and featuring nine compartments representing the navagrahas. These compartments held water, milk, curd, turmeric, vermilion (kumkum), navathaniyam, gomium (cow urine), thirumanjanam and lime powder.

After the pooja was completed, TNAU Vice-Chancellor C. Ramasamy fed the animals mouthfuls of pongal that was served on plantain leaves.

A festival atmosphere prevailed at the Central Farm, with families of the farm workers present in full strength and dressed in new clothes. Bulls and cows sported balloons tied to their painted horns.

Colourful patterns created on the ground with coloured powder added to the festival atmosphere.

Women farm workers performed kummi attam and kolattam, to round off the celebrations as visitors received pongal and coconut water.

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