Written by Muhammad Thahir · Sources checked 4 November 2026
Thai Pongal in Sri Lanka is the Tamil harvest festival, held in mid-January to thank the sun for the harvest. In 2027 it falls on 15 January, a public holiday. At dawn, families boil new rice with milk and jaggery in a new pot until it overflows. It is celebrated most visibly in Jaffna, the east, the hill country and Tamil neighbourhoods of Colombo.
What happens on Thai Pongal?
Boiling the pongal
Families cook rice, milk and jaggery in a new clay or brass pot, often outdoors facing the rising sun. The moment it boils over is a sign of abundance.
Offerings and prayers
The sweet rice is offered to the sun with bananas, sugarcane and flowers, then shared with family and neighbours.
Temple visits
Hindu temples hold special pujas, and families visit relatives in new clothes.
The date is from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s 2027 holiday list.
Where to experience Thai Pongal
- Jaffna: homes and temples across the peninsula celebrate. Our north Sri Lanka itinerary covers the region.
- Hill country: tea estate communities celebrate in their line homes and estate temples.
- The east: Trincomalee and Batticaloa, though January is outside the main east coast beach season.
- Colombo: Tamil neighbourhoods and the city’s kovils. See our Hindu temples guide.
Other Tamil festivals in the year
Mahasivarathri
A night of Shiva worship, on 6 March 2027.
Tamil New Year
Shared with the Sinhala New Year on 13 and 14 April 2027.
Nallur festival
Weeks of processions in Jaffna, usually in August and September.
Deepavali
The festival of lights, on 28 October 2027.
Local planning notePongal is mainly a family festival at home. A local guide or homestay host is the best way to be invited to watch the dawn ritual. See our village homestay guide.
See every date in our Sri Lanka festivals calendar.
Plan a January trip to the north
Tell us your January dates. Our tailor-made team can arrange a Jaffna stay around Thai Pongal.
Thai Pongal questions
When is Thai Pongal in Sri Lanka in 2027?
Tamil Thai Pongal Day falls on Friday 15 January 2027, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s holiday list. It is a public and bank holiday across the island.
What is Thai Pongal?
Thai Pongal is the Tamil harvest festival that thanks the sun. Families boil new rice with milk and jaggery in a new pot until it overflows, then offer it with bananas and sugarcane before sharing it.
Where can I see Thai Pongal in Sri Lanka?
Jaffna and the north have the most visible celebrations, along with tea estate communities in the hill country and Tamil neighbourhoods in Colombo. Much of it happens at home, so a local host helps.
Featured photo: Dinuka Gunawardana / Pexels. Pongal offering in Sri Lanka; illustrative photograph.
