1. A harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu and other parts of South India, typically in January, marked by cooking a special rice dish and making offerings to the sun.
Usage: cultural; often capitalized
2. A traditional South Indian dish made of rice, lentils, and vegetables cooked together, typically prepared during the Pongal festival.
Usage: culinary

Examples

• Pongal is one of the most important festivals in Tamil culture.
• Families gather to celebrate Pongal with prayers and feasts.
• The Pongal harvest festival marks the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai.
• My grandmother makes a delicious pongal with fresh vegetables and ghee.
• During Pongal, people cook the rice dish in new clay pots as part of the tradition.
• The festival of Pongal is celebrated across South India with great enthusiasm.