Mattu Pongal 2026 மாட்டுப் பொங்கல்

The day in the Tamil calendar

Timings for Chennai. The date follows the Tamil Nadu calendar.

About the festival

Mattu Pongal is the third day of the Pongal festival, the day after Thai Pongal, and honours cattle for their part in farming.^1,2,3

Cattle are bathed and decorated: their horns are polished or painted, and garlands, beads and bells are tied around their necks.^1,2

Bull-taming events such as jallikattu are held in parts of Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festivities.^1,2

When it falls: Mattu Pongal is observed on the day after Thai Pongal (the first day of Thai), as the third day of the Pongal festival.^1,2,3

Sources

1. tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in
2. Wikipedia: Mattu Pongal
3. Wikipedia: Pongal (festival)

Mattu Pongal in other years