By Dr. vincent paul | Director
Respected Donor,
Warm Greetings from CHHASE.
Thank you for all your generous support for the care and food provision to the neglected elders through esteemed organization GlobalGiving.
Because of your generous support and sacrifice of your hard earnings towards elderly care, All our elders are very happy, healthy and thanking you for helping them to live with dignity.CHHASE and our staff thank you for your support.
MUNIYAMMA’s olden days story:
Muniyamma is 84 years old and no she is healthy and happy. She lost her husband before 20 years ago. During her husband was alive, they were having cultivatable land and every year, they were harvesting a large amount of rice, dal, etc.They happily celebrated the thanksgiving festival by cooking sweet rice, sweets and they share with neighbours and relatives and shared their happiness. When she lost her husband to cancer, she was left with two sons.
After 4 years her sons left school and started going for casual labor work. They started learning to drink liquor. One day her sons took her signature in a stamp paper and sold the land. 2 years slowly passed and the money what they got has completely spent out. Her sons told her to go out of the house and said that they cannot provide food and look after her.
3 years she suffered by begging and staying in bus stand. She came in our care 6 years back and since then she is living in our care and happy and healthy.
CHHASE, our staff and our elders celebrated the “ PONGAL FESTIVAL”. A festival of thanks giving.
According to tradition, the festival marks the end of winter solstice, and the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards when the sun enters the zodiac Makara (Capricorn). The festival is named after the ceremonial "Pongal", which means "to boil, overflow" and refers to the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with jaggery (raw sugar). To mark the festival, the pongal sweet dish is prepared, first offered to the gods and goddesses (goddess Pongal), followed sometimes with an offering to cows, and then shared by the family. Festive celebrations include decorating cows and their horns, ritual bathing and processions. It is traditionally an occasion for decorating rice-powder based Kolam artworks, offering prayers in the home, temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts to renew social bonds of solidarity.
Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh,Telengana and puducherry in India.It is also a major Tamil festival in Srilanka. It is observed by the Tamil diaspora worldwide, including those in Malaysia, Mauritius,South Africa, Singapore,United states,United kingdom and Canada.
The festival's most significant practice is the preparation of the traditional "pongal" dish. It utilizes freshly harvested rice, and is prepared by boiling it in milk and raw cane sugar (jaggery). Sometimes additional ingredients are added to the sweet dish, such as: Cardamom, raisins, Green gram and cashew nuts. Other ingredients include coconut and ghee.
Bhogi Pongal
The Pongal festival begins on the day called Bhogi Pongal, and it marks the last day of the Tamil month Marghazi. On this day people discard old belongings and celebrate new possessions. The people assemble and light a bonfire in order to burn the heaps of discards. Houses are cleaned, painted and decorated to give a festive look. The horns of oxen and buffaloes are painted in villages. New clothes are worn to mark the start of the festival. The deity of the day is Indra-the god of rains, to whom prayers are offered, with thanks and hopes for plentiful rains in the year ahead.
Surya Pongal
Surya Pongal – also called Suryan Pongal or Perum Pongal – is the second and main festive day, and is dedicated to the Hindu god Surya.It is the first day of the Tamil calendar month Tai, and coincides with Makara Sankaranthi- a winter harvest festival celebrated throughout India. The day marks the start of the Uttarayana. When the sun enters the 10th house of the zodiac Makara (Capricorn). The day is celebrated with family and friends, with the Pongal dish prepared in a traditional earthen pot in an open space in the view of the sun. The pot is typically decorated by tying a turmeric plant or flower garland, and near the cooking stove are placed two or more tall fresh sugarcane stalks.
Mattu Pongal
Mattu Pongal is celebrated the day after Surya Pongal. Mattu refers to "cow, bullock, cattle", and Tamil Hindus regard cattle as sources of wealth for providing dairy products, fertilizer, transportation and agricultural aid. On Mattu Pongal, cattle are decorated – sometimes with flower garlands or painted horns, they are offered bananas, a special meal and worshipped. Some decorate their cows with manjalthanni and oil. Shikakai apply kungumam to their foreheads, paint their horns, and feed them a mixture of venn pongal, jaggery, honey, banana and other fruits. Others bathe their cattle and prostrate before them with words of thanks for the help with the harvest.
Kanum Pongal
Kanum Pongal, sometimes called the Kanu Pongal, the fourth day of the festival, marks the end of Pongal festivities for the year. The word kanum (kaanum) in this context means "to visit." Many families hold reunions on this day. Communities organize social events to strengthen mutual bonds. Villagers cut and consume farm fresh sugarcane during social gatherings. Relatives, friends and neighbour’s visit to greet, while youngsters go out to meet seniors among the relatives and neighborhoods to pay respects and seek blessings, while some elders give the visiting children some pocket change as a gift.
CHHASE and Elderly care
CHHASE provide meals, clothing and medical care to the elders. With this timely support the elders are happy and feel that they are in safe and secure. CHHASE provide not only food support, we have provided warm clothing and medical treatment for them with love. When they feel that there is someone to care and love them, they are more confident and feel that they are safe and secure.
Thanking you for your kind cooperation and financial support. Without your generous donations it is very difficult for us to provide Food to neglected elder people
Thank you for supporting the noble cause.
Warm Regards,
CHHASE
By Dr. vincent paul | Director
By Dr. vincent paul | Director
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