CELEBRATIONS -- 23:

PONGAL FESTIVAL AT GATEWAY COONOOR

ORIENTED GUESTS TO TAMIL CULTURE

BY P S SUNDAR

After nearly nine months of lockdown and low-key New Year celebrations in The Nilgiris, tourists enjoyed the Pongal holidays, thanks to the district Collector Innocent Divya launching ‘Pongal Tourism’ at Government Botanical Garden, Ooty.

 

She also participated in the Pongal games held for the tourists and used the occasion to motivate tourists to follow Covid-19 safety norms.

 

Taking this forward, star hotels made the Pongal holidays informative and memorable to the tourists.

 

IHCL SeleQtions Hotels – Savoy in Ooty and Gateway in Coonoor – took the opportunity quite well.

 

“Both our Savoy Hotel in Ooty and Gateway Hotel in Coonoor were nearly full during the Pongal holidays and so we gave the tourists, especially those from other States, a useful orientation to the celebration pattern for Pongal in Tamil Nadu”, Cluster General Manger of IHCL SeleQtions Hotels Ritesh Choudhary told me.

 

“At Gateway Hotel in Coonoor, we created replica of the decorated huge mud Pongal pot with overflowing milk on the village-type oven of three stones crowned with large sugarcane adorned with floral garland which was a great attraction to the tourists who enjoyed taking photos along with this”, he disclosed.

“And, all our employees were dressed in dhothi and white shirt to create the ‘Pongal spirit’ among the visitors”, he said.

 

“We explained the significance of raising the slogan ‘Pongal-o-Pongal’ to which tourists also joined”, Food and Beverage Manager Balamurugan said.

 

The restaurant area was very well decorated with Pongal ambience especially with full size sugar cane.

 

And, the Musician Felix Marshal entertained the guests with a number of Tamil songs to orient them towards the Tamil festival of Pongal.

“Our buffet was entirely Tamil-oriented cuisine with accent on Pongal festival dishes and we displayed cards with the Tamil names of the dishes”, Executive Chef Ramalingam said who mingled with the tourists explaining the dishes.

Also, the dishes were displayed in mud pots warmed over mud oven to enhance the Pongal village feel. 

“There were varieties of Pongal dishes – Varagu Arisi, Sakkarai, Paal, Kalkandu, Ven and Kaikari besides a live cooking of Kara paniyaram and Aappam.  In all, there were 35 dishes for the Pongal feast”, he disclosed.

 

And, this was the Pongal special Menu::

 Soup

·        Kai Kari Mandi Soup

( Keerai Bun,Oma Kuchi )

 

Applam, homemade pickle,

Vadagam, mourmelagai, papad

 

VEG-SALAD

·        Kosumbari Salad

·        Carrot Malli Salad

·        Green salad

·        Thengai Sundal

Non-Veg

·        Mutton Melagu Masala

·        Kozha Urandai Kozhambu (Chicken)

 

 

Vegetarian Menu

·        Kathrikai Gostumalli

·        Mushroom Kai Kari Mandi

·        Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu

·        Uralai avarai mochai peratal

·        Beans carrot porial

·        Pal katti pattani khorma

·        Vazhakkai Varual

·        Arachu Vitta Sambar

·        Cucumber Pachadi

·        Inji Thogaiyal

·        Paruppu Rasam

 

 

 

Rice

·        Kai Kari Pongal

·        Paal Pongal

·        Varugu Arisi Pongal

·        Venpongal

·        Ellumichai saadam

·        Malli sadam

·        Thalicah Thayir Sadham

 

·        Spot – Appam with coconut milk

·        Kara Paniyaram

 

 

Dessert

·        Sakkarai Pongal

·        Kal Kandu Pongal

·        Javarisi  Semiya Payasam

·        Paasi Paruppu Payasam

·        Paruppu Thengai Poli

·        Chocolate Coconut Balls

·        Ice cream

 

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)