Pongal (also known as Thai Pongal) is a four-day harvest festival celebrated in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The origins of the Pongal festival are said to date back to more than 1,000 years ago. The festival is dedicated to the Sun God, as a form of giving thanks for a bountiful harvest, and is usually celebrated in mid-January. It is one of the most important festivals for Tamil people in India and world over.
On January 12th 1863, a son was born to the upper middle-class Datta family in Calcutta. They named him Narendranath. He grew up to become a very important figure in India and abroad. We now know him as Swami Vivekananda.