Staten Island’s Tamil community celebrates Pongal with culture and tradition

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Members of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Saturday with a cultural and spiritual program celebrating gratitude for the sun, nature and agricultural abundance.

The Staten Island Tamil School hosted a public presentation on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Staten Island Hindu Temple on Victory Boulevard in Sunnyside.

Indra Emmanuel, president of the Ilankai Tamil Sangam, said the festival reflects themes of joy, unity and thankfulness, rooted in appreciation for the sun and the natural world.

“This celebration is a heartfelt expression of gratitude for the harvest, honoring abundance and prosperity,” said Emmanuel. “It brings the community together in shared joy and togetherness.”

For those unfamiliar, a Tamil community is a broad and diverse population connected by use of the Tamil language and a shared cultural history.

Its roots lie mainly in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in Sri Lanka, though sizable Tamil populations live throughout the global diaspora.

For nearly 30 years, Staten Island has had one of the largest Sri Lankan communities in the country, giving the festival added cultural importance for the borough.

The Tamil community includes followers of several religions — most commonly Hinduism, as well as Christianity and Islam — and encompasses distinct groups such as Tamil Brahmins and Sri Lankan Tamils.

On Saturday, the program featured a traditional sweet rice cooking demonstration, a central ritual of Pongal.

Earlier that morning, the Ilankai Tamil Sangam — a Clove Lakes-based cultural organization serving the Sri Lankan Tamil community — held a Pot Pongal service at the same temple.

Eesan Kesavan serves as administrator of the Staten Island Tamil School under the Ilankai Tamil Sangam.

Pongal, which means “to boil over,” is observed annually in mid-January and marks the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai, considered an auspicious time.

The festival centers on cooking newly harvested rice with milk and jaggery in a decorated clay pot until it spills over, symbolizing abundance and gratitude.

As the pot overflowed, participants traditionally called out “Pongalo Pongal,” welcoming prosperity for the year ahead.

Pongal is celebrated over four days and includes family gatherings, temple observances and decorations such as colorful kolam designs, banana leaves and sugarcane.

The holiday also emphasizes thanks giving to the sun, nature and farm animals, highlighting its agricultural origins.

While Pongal traditionally falls on Jan. 14, Staten Island’s main community celebration will take place Jan. 24, with additional events held throughout the month.

The evening program will include traditional Tamil music, Bharatanatyam dance, folk performances, art displays and Tamil cuisine.

Organizers said the events are intended to preserve cultural heritage, pass traditions to younger generations and share the meaning of Pongal with the wider community.

Members of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos
Ranjini Veerasingam is joined by Vino Kaetheeswaran, Harish Kaetheeswaran and Kaetheeswaran Kana during a Pongal celebration hosted by the Staten Island Tamil community at the Staten Island Hindu Temple. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. Pictured are members of the Uthayashankar family — Tharshika Uthayashankar, Nilaan Uthayashankar, Saikavi Uthayashankar and Kajal Uthayashankar. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of the Uthayashankar family — Tharshika Uthayashankar, Nilaan Uthayashankar, Saikavi Uthayashankar, Uthayashankar Uthayakumar and Kajal Uthayashankar — take part in a Pongal celebration at the Staten Island Hindu Temple in Sunnyside. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn SantosMembers of Staten Island’s Tamil community marked the Hindu harvest festival of Pongal on Jan. 17, 2026. (Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Avance/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos

Staten Island’s Tamil community celebrates Pongal with culture and tradition

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