Tue Jan 21 15:55:28 UTC 2025: ## Thousands Gather for Centuries-Old Nagarathar Festival in Sivaganga
**Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, January 21, 2025** – Over 900 Nagarathar families from across the globe converged in Nattarasankottai, Sivaganga district, on Tuesday to celebrate the annual ‘Sevvai Pongal’ festival. This significant gathering, described as a mega reunion, saw members of the community, many of whom reside on different continents, come together for the event held on the first Tuesday after Pongal. Villagers say the festival has been celebrated for over two centuries.
The festival centered around the making of pongal at the Sri Kannudiya Nayagi Amman Temple. A unique tradition involves selecting one family through a lottery to receive a special place in front of the temple to prepare their pongal in an earthen pot. While traditionally involving a goat sacrifice, even vegetarian families participate in the ritual.
A total of 916 Nagarathar families, along with approximately 200 families from other communities, participated in the pongal offering and prayers. The event also featured various cultural performances. The festival underscores the strong community bonds and enduring traditions of the Nagarathar people.
First Piper 