Namakkal, India is an extremely vibrant city that celebrated the Pongal Festival with a day of rekla races, a massive parade, and dances.
The stop in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu was a very eventful one. It was a long day of none top people, excitement, energy, and interesting sights. The day started off with watching men racehorses through the town Roman-style called a Rekla Race.
Then we stopped at a poultry farm. We saw what seemed like a million chickens raised. After that, we joined the mayor of Namakkal to watch a massive Pongal Festival parade with some of the most amazing and craziest things I’ve ever seen. Then we finished the night with several dance performances by local high school students and adults.
Rekla Races
Rekla Races have race bulls or horses pull makeshift carts for some defined distance. The winners are then given prizes. This sport used to be popular during the three-day Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. India banned Rekla Races in 2014 due to cruelty and abuse that happened to some of the animals at the hands of the racers.
Poultry Farm
I had never been to a poultry farm. This was truly an eye-opening experience. It was a sad sight but seems necessary in a country of over a billion people. Farmers raise them to lay eggs before they are big enough to be slaughtered.
Pongal Festival Parade In Namakkal
Then the mayor of Namakkal invited us to sit with him and watch a massive Pongal Festival parade. At the parade, people did dances, performances, and stunts.
Evening Dance Performances
I finished the day off with an evening of musical dances that were mesmerizing and beautiful.
More Photos From My Incredible Trip to India:
- The Taj Mahal In Agra, India Was A Breathtaking Sight Of Awe And Beauty
- New Delhi & Agra, India – Seats Of Power And Poverty
- Auroville Matrimandir & Mahabalipuram, India with Krishna’s Butterball
- Puducherry, India Is A Seaside French Settlement With A Unique Culture
- Chidambaram, India – A Small Town With The Famous Nataraja Temple
- Nagapattinam, India – Beautiful Orphans And A Ring of Fire
- Velankanni, India – A Small Indian Beach Town With A Famous Basilica
- An Indian Girl Who Chose To Love Despite Her Tragic Life Story
- Tsunami Survivor K. Pasupathi’s Story About Surviving The 2004 Tsunami
- Kumbakonam, India, A City Known For Its Silk Dyeing And Weaving Skills
- Mayiladuthurai, Tharangambadi, and Poombuhar In Tamil Nadu, India
- Thanjavur, India, An Ancient City Of Temples And Art
- Namakkal, India, A Day Of Rekla Races And A Massive Pongal Festival
- Yercaud, India, A Beautiful Town Located In The Mountains
- Coimbatore, India Is A Small Bustling City With Amazing Food
- Salem, India – A Vibrant City With Pongal Festival Celebrations
- Bangalore, India, A Enormous City Famous For Technology and Religion
- Hosur, India Is A Rural City With Beautiful Mystical Tropical Landscapes
- India, Arriving In An Incredible And Mysterious New Place
