{"id":100362,"date":"2026-01-14T19:36:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/100362\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T19:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:36:11","slug":"thai-pongal-2026-staten-island-tamil-community-celebrates-harvest-festival-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/100362\/","title":{"rendered":"Thai Pongal 2026: Staten Island Tamil community celebrates harvest festival this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 January offers the quiet splendor with longer days and clear skies for stargazing. These seasonal gifts are at the heart of Thai Pongal\u2014the annual Hindu harvest festival that Staten Island\u2019s Tamil community will celebrate this week, a tradition steeped in gratitude to the sun and nature\u2019s bounty.<\/p>\n

\"Pongal\"A cultural presentation by the Staten Island Tamil School is set for Saturday, Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. at the Staten Island Hindu Temple in Sunnyside.(Courtesy of Indra Emmanuel)<\/p>\n

A special presentation by the Staten Island Tamil School will take place Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the Staten Island Hindu Temple, 1318 Victory Blvd., Sunnyside. The program, open to the community, will include a sweet rice cooking demonstration, a signature element of the festival. Earlier that morning, at 9 a.m., the Ilankai Tamil Sangam, a Clove Lakes-based cultural organization serving Sri Lankans, will host a Pot Pongal service at the same temple.<\/p>\n

\"Pongal\"The Staten Island Tamil society recognized Bavanandan Rajadura, left, last year at their Pongal villa for his service to the Hindu community. Eesan Kesavan, right, is the administrator of the Staten Island Tamil School of Ilankai Tamil Sangam. The plaque notes, “With sincere gratitude, we acknowledge your leadership, enthusiasm and willingness to serve.”(Courtesy of Indra Emmanuel)<\/p>\n

Indra Emmanuel, president of the Ilankai Tamil Sangam, emphasizes the festival\u2019s spirit of joy, prosperity, and harmony, rooted in gratitude to the sun and nature\u2019s blessings.<\/p>\n

While the traditional Pongal date falls on Jan. 14, Staten Island\u2019s Tamil community will hold its main celebration on Jan. 24, with additional events throughout the month. On the evening of Jan. 24, beginning at 5 p.m., the Tamil community will gather for a vibrant cultural showcase featuring traditional music, the Bharatanatyam dance, folk performances, art exhibits, and authentic Tamil cuisine. The event aims to preserve heritage, pass traditions to younger generations, and foster unity among Tamil people from all walks of life. Everyone is welcome.<\/p>\n

\"Pongal\"The event is designed to preserve Tamil heritage, share traditions with younger generations, and bring the community together in a spirit of unity. (Courtesy of Indra Emmanuel)<\/p>\n

The mid-January festival honors the sun\u2019s northward passage and the lengthening days that signal winter\u2019s end. The deity Surya plays a central role in the festivities.<\/p>\n

Food is central to Thai Pongal. A savory, dal-based dish called Pongal symbolizes prosperity, while its sweet counterpart, sakkarai, blends cardamom, coconut, and jaggery\u2014a crystallized sugar made from palm sap, similar to molasses. Other traditional treats include vade (pronounced \u201cVuddy\u201d) fried lentil doughnuts, and creamy rice pudding.<\/p>\n

\"SriSome Sri Lankan foods to know on Staten Island: mutton roll (back at left), vade (lentil-spiked fritter in the rear right) and fish cutlet. These are from New Asha in Tompkinsville. Photo by Chad Cheriel LC-<\/p>\n

For about three decades, Staten Island has been home to one of the largest Sri Lankan populations in the United States, making this festival a significant cultural event for the borough. Those eager to explore Sri Lankan flavors year-round can visit local favorites such as Ceylon Curry, Dosa Garden, and New Asha, all in Tompkinsville, as well as Lakruwana in Stapleton and Randiwa in Bulls Head.<\/p>\n

\"Pongal\"Thai Pongal brings color and tradition to Staten Island. Girls in vibrant silk sarees and music will mark a celebration of gratitude to the sun and nature\u2019s bounty. (Courtesy of Indra Emmanuel)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 January offers the quiet splendor with longer days and clear skies for stargazing. These…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":100363,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-100362","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100362\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}