Pongal 2027 in Malaysia: Fri, Jan 15 — Puja Time by City

How the Pongal date is decided

The Sun's entry into Makara (sidereal) — a solar event, so the date is the same worldwide except when it falls near midnight.

Significance

Gratitude to the Sun and Uttarayana: the start of Thai = the Sun's entry into Capricorn, Uttarayana (the day of the gods) — 'Thai pirandhal vazhi pirakkum' (when Thai comes, a way opens): the auspicious season for weddings and new work; the paddy harvest is done — farming families thank the Sun, the rain, the earth and the animals; this is the essence of Makar Sankranti.

Four days: Bhogi — the day of Indra (Bhogi = Indra, god of rain), old and broken things burnt at dawn for a fresh start, the house cleaned and whitewashed; Thai Pongal — the boiled-over Pongal for the Sun; Mattu Pongal — the cattle (helpers in farming) bathed, horns painted, garlanded, jallikattu / manju virattu; Kaanum Pongal — 'kaanum' = to see: visiting relatives, sisters praying for their brothers (kanu pidi), meals by the river.

A women's festival: the kolam at dawn (rice-flour rangoli — food for ants and birds too), tying a fresh turmeric-and-ginger rhizome on the new clay pot, sugarcane, cooking the Pongal — by the woman of the house as its goddess; at Kaanum Pongal's 'kanu pidi' sisters leave coloured rice for the crows and ask for their brothers' long life.

Puja vidhi (brief)

1. Bhogi (day one): at dawn burn the old and broken things of the house (mats, clothes, brooms — not plastic or tyres) in a bonfire in the courtyard (a new beginning — 'Bhogi mandalu'), drums and songs; clean, plaster and whitewash the house, buy new clothes and pots, a mango-leaf toran; in Andhra-Telangana 'Bhogi pallu' (ber, flowers, coins) are showered on children; Indra puja in some homes.
2. Thai Pongal — dawn: bathe before sunrise, new clothes; wash the doorstep and courtyard and draw a large **kolam** (rangoli of rice flour or colour — figures of the Sun, sugarcane, kalash), a ball of cow dung with a yellow pumpkin (parangikkai) flower at its centre; a hearth of bricks in the open (facing the Sun) in the courtyard or on the terrace.
3. The Pongal pot: a new clay (or brass) pot — three stripes of turmeric, sandal and kumkum on it, a fresh turmeric-and-ginger rhizome (with leaves) and mango leaves tied at its neck; beside the pot a pair of sugarcanes, a banana leaf, coconut, banana, a picture of the Sun god (or face the Sun).
4. Cooking the Pongal (after sunrise, before Abhijit ends — timings above): boil milk and water in the pot — the moment the milk **boils over** (auspicious towards the north or east), the whole family calls 'Pongalo Pongal!', conch or drum; then add the new rice (the first harvest), moong dal, jaggery, ghee, cashew-raisins and cardamom for sakkarai (sweet) Pongal; alongside ven (savoury — pepper, cumin, ginger) Pongal.
5. Sun worship: on a banana leaf place the Pongal, sugarcane, banana, coconut and turmeric rhizome and offer them to the Sun — 'Suryaya Namah', the Aditya Hridaya or Sun mantras, camphor aarti; arghya to the Sun; the Pongal goes first to the Sun, then to the household deities, the cow and the crows (kanu), then to the family — a meal on banana leaves.
6. Mattu Pongal (day three): bathe the cows and bulls, paint the horns and cap them with brass, garland and bell, kumkum and turmeric on the forehead, flowers on the neck; feed them Pongal, jaggery, sugarcane and banana, aarti; worship at the cowshed; in villages jallikattu (bull-taming) and manju virattu; feed the pets and birds at home.
7. Kaanum Pongal (day four): visits to family and relatives, picnics by the river or seashore; **kanu pidi** — at dawn the women and sisters of the house place leftover Pongal, coloured rice (turmeric-kumkum), sugarcane and banana on turmeric leaves in the courtyard for the crows and pray for the long life and prosperity of their brothers (brothers give gifts to sisters); blessings of elders, new clothes.
8. Closing: sugarcane chewed and shared, the kolam kept till the next day; the Pongal pot kept for the year's puja; leftover rice for the birds; wedding and new-work muhurats looked at from Uttarayana.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pongal 2027 on the same day in Malaysia and India?

Yes — Friday, January 15, 2027.

What is the puja time for Pongal 2027 in Kuala Lumpur?

Punya Kaal (from sunrise — Sankranti was at night): 7:24 AM to 7:21 PM (MYT). Other cities are in the table above.

Which time zone are these timings in?

Each row is in that city's own local time (Malaysia Time (MYT) for Kuala Lumpur).

How is sakkarai Pongal made?

1 cup new rice + ¼ cup roasted moong dal cooked soft in milk and water; add ¾–1 cup melted and strained jaggery, 3–4 spoons of ghee, cashew and raisins fried in ghee, cardamom; let the milk boil over in the pot first (the omen), then add the rice.

Why is a turmeric-ginger rhizome tied on the pot?

Fresh turmeric (manjal) stands for auspiciousness, purity and the harvest — the rhizome with its leaves is tied at the pot's neck (with a ginger rhizome), along with mango leaves; it turns the pot into a 'kalash'; sugarcane for prosperity, banana for good fortune.

What is the kanu pidi of Kaanum Pongal?

At dawn on the fourth day the women and sisters place leftover Pongal, coloured (turmeric-kumkum) rice, sugarcane and banana on turmeric leaves for the crows — a prayer for the long life and prosperity of their brothers; brothers give gifts to sisters; a day of family outings.

What is the difference between Pongal and Makar Sankranti?

The same solar transit (the Sun's entry into Capricorn) — Thai Pongal in Tamil Nadu (four days, the boiled-over Pongal), Makar Sankranti in the North (khichdi, sesame, holy bath, kites), Lohri in Punjab (the day before), Magh Bihu in Assam; Makar Sankranti has its own page with those customs.

Daily panchang in Malaysia

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