Nagarathar women celebrate ‘Sevvai Pongal’ at Nattarasankottai

About 923 families of Nagarathar community arrived from across the globe at Nattarasankottai in Sivaganga district to celebrate the traditional ‘Sevvai Pongal’ festival.

This annual event serves as a massive international reunion for the Nagarathar community people. Local residents said while many might miss major holidays like Pongal or Deepavali, they made every effort to attend Sevvai Pongal, which was held on the first Tuesday following Pongal. This tradition had been upheld by the community for over two centuries.

The primary celebrations took place at Sri Kannudaiya Nayagi Amman Temple. As part of the long-standing ritual, a goat sacrifice was required at the temple, a custom followed even by those who were strictly vegetarian, the people said.

This year, 923 Nagarathar families prepared pongal and offered their prayers, joined by approximately 200 families from other communities in the area. The festivities also featured a variety of special cultural programmes.