Ponggal Fever In The Air In Jasin 

JASIN, Jan 13 (Bernama) – The row of old shops in the heart of Jasin town has become bustling once again as it draws the Tamil community from around Melaka to purchase various supplies for the Ponggal celebration tomorrow.

One of the traders, K Gopal, 43, said that his family-owned shop, which has been operating for 20 years, has been visited by many people in recent days to buy a variety of items required for the harvest festival celebration.

He said some of the popular items sold include sugarcane, coconut leaves, clay pots, milk, turmeric leaves, bananas, and fresh flowers.

"So far, over 250 bundles of sugarcane stalks, which are typically used for decorations, have been sold at RM12 each, as well as more than 50 clay pots of various sizes priced between RM10 to RM12 each.

"Other items such as milk, cardamom, brown sugar, cashew nuts, raisins, and ghee for cooking the sweet rice are also selling well," he told Bernama here today.

The supplies will be used for the three-day Ponggal  celebration -  the first day at home, the second day for livestock such as cows, and the third day reserved for unmarried girls.

Housewife M Pusparani, 63, said it has become a tradition for her to purchase the necessary items in n Jasin town to celebrate the festival with her family at their home in Taman Maju Jasin.

"I am happy to celebrate this festival and have finished buying everything needed today to cook the sweet rice tomorrow," she said.

In PENANG, checks by Bernama at Little India in Lebuh Pasar, George Town, found that many sugarcane stalks were being sold, especially at shops selling Ponggal festival supplies and grocery stores.

M. Anbukaran, 41, said he has been selling sugarcane at Lebuh Penang for the past 10 years, and this year, he has prepared 700 stalks compared to about 500 last year to meet customer demand.

"The sugarcane is sourced from farms in Perlis, as the land there is larger and the supply is plentiful. So far, there have been no issues with supply.

"The selling price depends on the cost from suppliers, but I sell it for between RM10 to RM15 for two stalks. The price is RM2 for a single stalk that has been cut, as some customers living in flats only want smaller pieces as a symbolic gesture," he said.

In addition to sugarcane, he also sells turmeric leaves, which are important ingredients used in tying around the cooking pot as part of the ceremony.

A customer, M. Umadevi,39, said that this year, Ponggal will be celebrated simply with her family at home, with the main event being the preparation of sweet rice.

"Today, I came to Little India to buy sugarcane, turmeric leaves, and a new pot to celebrate Ponggal at home.

"I live in a flat, so we are celebrating in a small way in the kitchen. We will cook vegetarian food and eat together as a family," she said.

-- BERNAMA