Ooty: Yaanai Pongal held at the elephant camp at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) marked 'Pongal' celebrations in the hills here. While Monday was the day to celebrate maattu pongal to honour cattle in the state, here in the MTR as usual it was the 'yaanai Pongal' that hogged the limelight with a good turnout of holiday crowd enjoying the celebrations.
J.Innocent Divya, collector of Nilgiris, was present with the kumki elephants at the camp. Seven kumki elephants have been brought to the temple at the elephant camp entrance where priests performed puja for them. Then the kumkis were fed with sweet 'Pongal, fruits and sugarcane. The other kumkis lodged in three different camps, were also given pongal on the occasion.
Tribal music and dance added extra flavor to the 'yaanai pongal celebrations. Mr.Srinivas Reddy, field director of MTR said that yaanai pongal is a regular feature in the MTR during pongal as it helps to showcase the rich culture and tradition associated with the pongal celebrations for tourists from other states.
Ms. Ramya, a tourist from Coimbatore said that seeing yaanai pongal reminds people to rededicate themselves towards wildlife conservation.
