Pongal and Sankranti Greetings in Tamil and Telugu
Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana arrive in mid-January, a harvest festival of sweet pongal, sugarcane, kolams and kite-flying. For families spread across cities and countries, a greeting in the language of home is the closest thing to being in the courtyard.
Greetings to start from
- பொங்கல் வாழ்த்துகள்! (Tamil: Pongal greetings!)
- సంక్రాంతి శుభాకాంక్షలు! (Telugu: Sankranti greetings!)
Both are lovely on their own. A story that mentions your own family's traditions is better.
Details that make a harvest greeting personal
- The kolam or muggu your grandmother drew at dawn.
- The first pot of pongal boiling over, and everyone shouting “Pongalo Pongal.”
- Flying kites on the terrace, or the cousin who always won.
- The sugarcane and turmeric plants tied to the doorway.
The four days of Pongal, and what to mention
Pongal is celebrated over several days. Knowing them helps you write something specific rather than generic:
- Bhogi: the first day, when old things are cleared out to make way for the new.
- Thai Pongal: the main day, when rice is cooked in a new pot until it boils over, in thanks to the sun.
- Mattu Pongal: the day cattle are honored for their role in farming.
- Kaanum Pongal: a day for visiting relatives and spending time together.
Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has similar rhythms, with its own food, rangoli (muggu) and kite-flying.
Prompts to adapt
- “Wish my paati happy Pongal. Remind her of the kolams we drew together before sunrise, and tell her I will call as the pot boils over.”
- “Send Sankranti wishes to my cousins. Remind them of the kite fights on our terrace, and say I wish I could be there to cheer.”
- “Wish my family a happy Pongal from abroad. Say I miss the smell of sugarcane and jaggery, and that the harvest is the one festival I never feel far from.”
Why the language matters
Pongal vocabulary, the “Pongalo Pongal” shout, the names of the dishes and the blessings elders give, all sound different in Tamil or Telugu than in any translation. Choosing the narration language is the single most important choice you make when creating the greeting.
Make it in minutes
- Describe your greeting, for example: “Wish my paati happy Pongal, remind her of the kolams we drew together every morning, and say I will call at sunrise.”
- Choose Tamil or Telugu for the narration.
- Pick a style. Watercolor and Storybook suit festival memories.
- Review and edit the script, then share the link on WhatsApp.
For more on regional-language greetings, see our guide to South Indian language greetings.
Frequently asked questions
Can ShareGreet narrate in Tamil and Telugu?
Yes. Tamil and Telugu are among the 30+ regional languages ShareGreet supports.
Do the people I send it to need an account?
No. They open a link and watch it.
More articles
- Greet My Circle: Send Every Festival Wish in One Minute, in Everyone's Language
- AI Video Styles: 37 Looks From Realistic and Anime to Clay and Watercolour
- AI Video Prompt Builder: Write a Better Prompt for Any Video Tool
- Which AI Video Tool Should I Use? A Simple Guide to Every ShareGreet Video Maker
- Replace a Character in a Video With AI: Swap a Person for a Pet, Toy or Cartoon