Catching Divyabharathi’s Pongal pulse: A rooted Pongal of little joys

“Pongal, for me, is all about togetherness and gratitude. It’s that time of the year when the family comes together, and we get to celebrate the blessings around us,” shares Divyabharathi. In a chat with us, the Bachelor actress shares all about her Pongal celebrations, memories attached to the festival, her love for sakkara pongal and more…‘Growing up, Pongal celebrations at home were pretty simple’For Divyabharathi, Pongal has never grand celebrations, but is simple and family-centred. “Growing up, Pongal celebrations were at home and were pretty simple. My mom has always been a strong and hard-working woman. As she has always been on the go, my celebrations were grounded and never fancy. Now that I’ve grown up and I’m working, the celebrations have become more about going home, spending quality time with my family and being present with them. As years go by, we find happiness in the simplest of things and the little blessings we see around us.”‘Pongal celebrations in Coimbatore feel more festive and rooted’Pongal hits differently back home for the actress. She remarks, “For me, Pongal feels a bit more special in Coimbatore. Everyone really gets into the festival vibe. Celebrating Pongal in Chennai feels nice too, but celebrations in Coimbatore somehow feel more festive and rooted. I guess it’s also because I’m from there. Many households there still have cows. On Maattu Pongal, they bathe the cow and perform a special puja for it.”‘I'm excited to eat lots of sugarcane and dress up my niece for Pongal’This year, the actress is most excited about celebrating Pongal at her home in Coimbatore along with her niece Riya. “The Pongal plan this time is to go home and have a good time with my family. I’m excited about being with my one-and-a-half year old niece Riya. It’s the first time I’m celebrating Pongal with her. I couldn’t be with her last year as I was in Chennai. I’m looking forward to dressing her up, having a nice time with her and also eating lots of sugarcane.”‘I don’t mind working on Pongal day because the environment on set would be amazing’Reflecting on her favourite Pongal memory, Divyabharathi says, “Right after Bachelor was released, our whole team was invited to our director’s (Sathish Selvakumar) home, near Coimbatore, to celebrate Pongal. They had beautiful cows, and I even got to feed them. It’s a core memory that I can never forget in my life.” Though she has never shot during Pongal time, that’s something the actress wants to do. “I hope I get to do that one day. I don’t mind working on Pongal day because I really love what I do, and feel that the environment on set would be amazing,” she says.‘You get an instant festival feel when you have sakkara pongal’Whether it’s food or fashion, Divya Bharathi believes Pongal is best celebrated the traditional way. “My favourite Pongal food is, for sure, sakkara pongal. I just love it. It’s so yummy, and there is an instant festive feeling that you get when you have it.” As for Pongal fashion, Divya likes to keep it classic. “I usually go traditional. I love saris, so I’ll obviously go with wearing a sari during festivals.”