Harvest Festival of Tamil Agricultural People, Cattle Pongal, Jallikattu, and Pastoral Traditions

On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Federation of Pastoral Peoples Sangams (TFPPS), we respectfully request you to feature our upcoming community event on the official International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 (IYRP 2026) platform. As part of the IYRP 2026 observance, we are organizing a Special Gathering Event celebrating the Harvest Festival of Tamil Agricultural People, Cattle Pongal, Jallikattu, and Pastoral Traditions, to be held in Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu.

Event Details:

- Date: Thai 4 – 18 January 2026 (Sunday)
- Time: 7:00 AM
- Venue: Velanni Pastoral Village, Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu, India
- Organised by: Tamil Nadu Federation of Pastoral Peoples Sangams (TFPPS)

About the Event:

The Tamil month of Thai marks the traditional Harvest Festival (Thai Pongal), celebrating the completion of the agricultural season and the close relationship between people, land, livestock, and nature. An integral part of this celebration is Cattle Pongal, which honours cattle for their vital contribution to cultivation, transport, manure generation, and overall farm sustainability.

After the harvest season, pastoralists traditionally migrate from grazing areas to agricultural landscapes with their livestock to practise “Penning” (locally known as Kidaipoduthal). This age-old system involves keeping livestock overnight on harvested fields so that dung and urine naturally enrich the soil. In Tamil Nadu, this Penning system has been practised for several thousand years and remains one of the most important indigenous methods of soil fertility management.

Penning represents a living example of how pastoralism and agriculture are deeply interdependent. Farmers benefit from improved soil health and reduced dependence on external inputs, while pastoralists gain access to post-harvest grazing and livelihoods. This mutually supportive relationship reflects a sustainable, low-cost, and climate-resilient agricultural system rooted in traditional knowledge.

The celebration also includes Jallikattu, a traditional bull-taming sport that symbolises the long-standing relationship between pastoral communities and indigenous cattle breeds. Jallikattu contributes to the community-based conservation of native livestock breeds, strengthening pastoral livelihoods and rangeland-based animal husbandry.

This event reflects the Tamil “Thinai” life system, where livelihoods evolve in harmony with ecology and seasonal cycles. Pastoralists, organic farmers, and palmyra climbers come together to celebrate their interconnected, nature-aligned ways of life that sustain rangelands, dryland farming systems, and rural economies.

Through this gathering, we aim to highlight:

- The cultural and ecological importance of pastoralism and rangelands
- The historic and continuing role of Penning (Kidaipoduthal) in sustainable agriculture
- The close interdependence of pastoralism and farming systems
- Community-led conservation of indigenous cattle through traditions such as Jallikattu
- Solidarity among pastoralists, organic farmers, and palmyra climbers

In the spirit of IYRP 2026, this event represents a grassroots expression of pastoral heritage, resilience, and coexistence with nature. We believe that featuring this event on the IYRP 2026 platform will help showcase South Asian pastoral knowledge systems aligned with the objectives of the International Year.