KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — In the Tamil culture, newly-wed couples ring in their first festivals together such as Deepavali and Pongal in an elaborate manner with their in-laws. 

The first harvest festival that they celebrate together is called Thala Pongal as the word “thala” means “the first” or “head” in Tamil. 

Pongal, a four-day long festival, marks the start of the Thai month — the tenth month in the Tamil calendar — and the commencement of the harvest season in India’s southernmost state, Tamil Nadu.

The festival also coincides with the Sun’s northward movement for the next six months. 

The four-day festival begins with the Bhogi festival — dedicated to the rain god Indra — where old and unused items in households are discarded in a bonfire. 

This ritual, however, is not widely practiced in Malaysia.

The most important part of the festival, Surya Pongal, is celebrated on the second day, during which rice is cooked with milk and jaggery in decorated clay pots.

The sweet rice resulting from this process is called “sarkarai pongal”, which is derived from the Tamil word “pongu” that means ‘to boil and overflow’. 

The sweet rice is then offered to the Sun god Surya as a thanksgiving for the good harvest. 

Maatu Pongal is celebrated on the third day and the occasion starts with bathing cows and bulls, decorating them with garlands, and giving them “pongal” (boiled rice cooked with vegetables) to ensure they are well-fed. 

The final day is known as Kaanum Pongal, where friends and families meet and bond over lunch.

“Kanni”, which refers to unmarried girls, observe Kanni Pongal by cooking and offering sarkarai pongal at temples to seek good marriage prospects.

So, when exactly is Thala Pongal celebrated?

Thala Pongal is celebrated on the same day as Surya Pongal. 

The Arulmigu Sri Sivasangkari Amman temple priest M. Ganesan said parents of the bride would traditionally present a pongal seeru (Pongal gift) to their daughter and son-in-law that consists of new clay pots, rice, milk and other items necessary to make sarkarai pongal.

“The newly-wed couple is required to boil and cook the pongal only with the claypots given by the bride’s family.

“So, if the bride is celebrating Pongal with her in-laws, her family would usually deliver the items a few days before the festival,” he explained.

While Thala Deepavali is customarily celebrated with the bride’s family, there is no hard‑and‑fast rule about which side the newlyweds should celebrate their Thala Pongal with.

Rakshana Vasudevan, 30, will be celebrating her Thala Pongal with her husband Sathish Balakrishnan, 30, at her family home in Perak. 

The couple got married on September 7 last year and celebrated their Thala Deepavali last November. 

Over the past few days, she has been busy with spring-cleaning her mother’s house and planning out the menu for Thala Pongal.

“Thala Pongal is a way of honouring the bride’s family by starting the festivities with them. 

“Being at my mother’s house for Thala Pongal is part of keeping this beautiful tradition alive. It adds warmth and emotional value to the celebration,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Thivyaa Maniam and her husband Shugeshan Sukumaran will not have to pick sides as both of them hail from Puchong, Selangor and their families only live 15 minutes apart. 

Thala Pongal will be the first festival that the couple are celebrating together since their marriage on January 31 last year. 

The couple decided to tie the knot during the Thai month last year, holding fast to the cultural belief that weddings in the Thai month usher prosperity.

However, the passing of her grandmother made Thala Deepavali a muted affair for the couple.

On the other hand, Thala Pongal celebrations are even more joyous for the couple, as they are expecting to welcome their first child in August 2026. 

“We are no longer just a duo, we are waiting for our tiny miracle to arrive,” Thivyaa, who is currently in her first trimester, said.

“So, spending the morning with my in-laws and the evening with my side of the family feels like the perfect way to celebrate Pongal this year,” she added. 

According to Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS), Surya Pongal will be celebrated on January 15 (Thursday), shortly after the birth of the Thai month at 9.23pm on January 14. 

MHS vice-president S. Vinayagamurthi said the auspicious time bands to observe Pongal this year include:

• 6.10am to 7.20am 
• 9.10am to 11.30am 
• 4.20pm to 6.20pm