Since I visited Tamil Nadu in the month of November, I was not able to be a part of the most celebrated festival - Pongal.

The guide on my tour, Murlidharan detailed me about Pongal. He acquainted me that Pongal falls in the month of January after the winter solistice and as such this Pongal festival marks the favorable course of the Sun. It is a three-day festival and the fourth day is a day for outdoors and excursions

Though I was not able to celeberate Pongal but I was able to minutely observe another festival Skanda Sashti, that usually falls between Oct 15 - Nov 15.Seen as the destruction of evil by the Lord Kartikeya, son of Shiva, the people of Tamil Nadu make it a occassion worth watching.

Murlidharan added his information by telling me that the festival is held in grand celebrations at Tirupparankunram, Tiruchendur, two of the 6 'Padai Veedu' temples of Murugan. At Sikkal, the festival image of Subramanya receives a spear, from the Ambal shrine, and breaks out in sweat, a day before the climax of the festival.

Another festival that we spoke about was Kavadi festival. "Sir, Kavadi festival is a different from others. In this festivals dances are performed in a hypnotic trance . In fact, the name Kavadi is derived from the flowers devoted by devotees to Lord Muruga." "Murli" as I used to call him, " Your Tamil Nadu is a beautiful amalgam of culture and heritage" I said. Till date, I cherish the time I spent during the Skanda Shasti and dream how other festivals are celeberated in Tamil Nadu.