India Edition

January 14, 2028

Jallikattu leads today's complete edition for India.

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Daily Edition

Friday, January 14, 2028

Official observances, world days, local context, and everyday celebrations for people who need something worth reading, sharing, or talking about today.

Yesterday Leap to Tomorrow
A man guiding a bull through water during the traditional sport in Alanganallur, Tamil Nadu, India.
Regional/Cultural Day

Jallikattu

In the villages around Madurai, Jallikattu is held during Pongal. Young men attempt to embrace a running bull by its hump and hold on for a prescribed distance. The bulls are specially bred for the sport, and the men train for months. The Supreme Court has banned it multiple times, and the Tamil people have protested each ban with a ferocity that surprises everyone except the Tamils. Jallikattu is not a sport. It is a statement of identity. . Fixed, Jan 14.

An immersive capture of a Hindu ritual at Ganga Ghat with flowers and sacred elements.
Regional/Cultural Day

Makar Sankranti

The sun enters Capricorn, and India celebrates the shift from shorter to longer days. In Gujarat and Rajasthan, it is Uttarayan: kite-flying day. The sky fills with kites, the string is coated with glass (manja), and kite-cutting is a competitive blood sport. In Tamil Nadu, it is Pongal: the rice harvest festival, where new rice is boiled in a new pot until it overflows, because overflow means abundance. In Punjab, it is Lohri: bonfires, sugarcane, and the first harvest. One festival, many names, one truth: the days are getting longer.

A beautiful arrangement for Pongal festival featuring a decorated pot, mango leaves, flowers, and bananas in Sri Lanka.
Regional/Cultural Day

Pongal

In Tamil Nadu, Pongal is four days of harvest celebration. The first day, Bhogi, old things are burned. The second day, Thai Pongal, new rice is boiled in a new clay pot until it overflows, and the family shouts "Pongalo Pongal!" The third day, Mattu Pongal, the cows are decorated and worshipped. The fourth day, Kanu Pongal, the women leave food on banana leaves for the birds. Every day has a purpose, and every purpose is gratitude.

A beautiful arrangement for Pongal festival featuring a decorated pot, mango leaves, flowers, and bananas in Sri Lanka.
Regional/Cultural Day

Pongal Kolam

During Pongal, every threshold in Tamil Nadu is decorated with a kolam: a geometric pattern drawn with rice flour. The kolam is drawn fresh every morning by the women of the house, and the skill is passed from mother to daughter. A good kolam takes 30 minutes to draw and lasts until the next footstep erases it. The impermanence is the point. The rice flour feeds the ants, which is an act of charity performed before breakfast. . Fixed, Jan 14.

A couple flies a colorful kite at sunset on Cox's Bazar beach, Bangladesh.
Regional/Cultural Day

Uttarayan

In Ahmedabad, the sky is so full of kites that it looks like a printed fabric. The kites are fighters, the string is coated with glass powder, and the goal is to cut every other kite in the sky. When a kite is cut, children scream "lapet" and run to catch it. The rooftops are full, the music is loud, and the kite string has been known to injure motorcyclists and birds. The joy is real. The danger is also real.

A bus navigating a busy street in Manzini, capturing urban life in Eswatini.
Regional/Cultural Day

Animals of Eswatini Day

You encounter the elusively beautiful African elephant, graceful impala, and powerful lion that roam Eswatini's reserves and savannas. You find that local residents commonly keep dogs, cats, and chickens as household pets. ACADA celebrates the world's pets, and helps assure better care.