Chennai: It is a ritual that is part of Chennai culture: allowing the local cows to be bathed at the Marina beach on the morning of Maattu Pongal day.
The video shows the cows getting a good scrub and frolicking in the waves.
The cattle would then be taken home and decked up for the evening. They would be paraded on the streets or taken to customers’ houses where the milkman supplies milk, and worshipped there. The distinct sound of the day would be the jangling bells around the cows’ neck or their feet.
Video: A R Jayakumar