People in South India (and rumor has it that it’s the same the world over) really like celebrations and so, after just having done with Christmas and New Year, there is another holiday today called Pongal, which is the Tamil thanksgiving or harvest festival. Unlike the imports of Christmas and New Year this is a more original opportunity to paint the town red. It is not only celebrated in South India but, under different names, also in other parts of South Asia. In this part of India (Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry) it actually lasts from 13th until 16th of January (reaching its climax on the 14th) and it is the time when the most magnificent Kolams of the year are to appear on the streets. To start it off properly, a Kolam competition with more than two hundred participants took place at the beach promenade in Pondicherry yesterday. See for yourself: