The auspicious 4-day stretch of Pongal kickstarted yesterday and brings us to the heartening Mattu Pongal celebration today. What is it all about?

With 394.6 million acres of India’s soil being farmland, the special significance cattle holds for us is insurmountable. And that is the sentiment that is honoured with grand celebrations on the occasion of Mattu Pongal. Mattu Pongal is being celebrated today, Wednesday, January 15. The rituals, traditions and customs observed on this day highlight the reverence of animals, particularly in the Tamil culture. While there is a lot of religiosity and routine surrounding the day, at the heart of it, Mattu Pongal is a day when the community gets together to truly thank the cattle for their unmatched contributions across the agricultural spectrum.

Also an important subtext of the festival is the day marking the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai, associated with the harvest of rice and other crops. Coming back to the topic of honouring cattle, the day traditionally involves a series of elaborate rituals, centered around the hallowed cattle.

The day begins with farmers and cattle owners, bathing the cattle with herbal pastes and scents, ensuring they are well-groomed for the whole day’s worth of festivities. The cattle are then thoroughly decorated with tikas, vibrant motifs on their horns, garlands, bells and even colour cloth draped over their bodies. The subsequent puja focuses on seeking blessings for their health and prosperity by paying obeisance to deities like Lord Ganesha and Lord Murugan.

The cattle are then further pampered by being fed concoctions of ghee, sugar, jaggery and rice followed by additional treats like coconuts, sugarcanes and bananas. The absolute highlight of the day however, are the bullock cart races. Friendly in their nature, these are accompanied with music, dance, chants and feasts with the women donning colourful sarees and the men folk turning out in traditional attires like the dhoti.

We wish you all a happy Mattu Pongal!

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The Mahotsav, which will be held on the theme ‘Building a Resilient Rural India for Viksit Bharat 2047,’ will celebrate rural India’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Grameen Bharat Mahotsav 2025 on Saturday morning at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.

Celebrating Rural India’s entrepreneurial spirit and cultural heritage, the Mahotsav will be held from 4 to 9 January with the theme ‘Building a Resilient Rural India for a Viksit Bharat 2047’.

The Mahotsav, through various discussions, workshops and masterclasses, aims to enhance rural infrastructure, create self-reliant economies, and foster innovation within rural communities.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, under the aegis of Department of Financial Services, is organizing this mega conclave cum exhibition.

Its objectives include promoting economic stability and financial security among rural populations, with a special focus on North-East India, by addressing financial inclusion and supporting sustainable agricultural practices.

A significant focus of the Mahotsav will be to empower rural women through entrepreneurship; bring together government officials, thought leaders, rural entrepreneurs, artisans and stakeholders from diverse sectors to build a roadmap for collaborative and collective rural transformation; encourage discussions around leveraging technology and innovative practices to enhance rural livelihoods; and showcase India’s rich cultural heritage through vibrant performances and exhibitions.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 1,675 newly constructed flats for the dwellers of JJ clusters and also handed over keys to eligible beneficiaries at Swabhiman Apartments in Ashok Vihar, Delhi. Ahead of the inauguration, PM Modi also inspected newly constructed flats for the dwellers of Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) clusters under the In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project.

The objective of the project is to provide the residents of the JJ clusters in Delhi with a better and healthier living environment equipped with proper amenities and facilities, a press release had said.

For every ₹25 lakh spent on the construction of a flat by the government, eligible beneficiaries pay less than 7 per cent of the total amount, comprising ₹1.42 lakh as a nominal contribution and ₹30,000 for five years of maintenance.

PM Narendra Modi also virtually inaugurated two urban redevelopment projects – the World Trade Centre at Nauroji Nagar and GPRA Type-II Quarters at Sarojini Nagar, CBSE’s Integrated Office Complex at Dwarka and also laid the foundation stone of Veer Savarkar College at Roshanpura, Najafgarh.

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New research reveals that both the portion size and nutritional quality of your breakfast play a crucial role in maintaining health, especially as we age.

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it’s not just about making sure you eat something in the morning. The portion size and the nutritional value of what you eat matter just as much, especially for older adults who are at risk for heart disease. New research shows that getting the right balance is key to maintaining good health as we age.

Spanish researchers explored how the calorie content and nutritional quality of breakfast impact long-term cardiovascular health, highlighting the importance of healthy breakfast habits. “Promoting healthy breakfast routines can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and chronic diseases, improving overall quality of life,” says Karla-Alejandra Pérez-Vega, a researcher at Hospital del Mar and CIBER for Obesity and Nutrition.

Impact of breakfast on overall health
The study, part of the PREDIMED-Plus trial, followed 383 adults aged 55-75 with metabolic syndrome, tracking their breakfast habits and health markers over three years. Researchers found that those who consumed too little (less than 20%) or too much (more than 30%) of their daily calories at breakfast had worse health outcomes than those who ate 20-30% of their daily calories in the morning. By the end of the study, the “Goldilocks” group showed healthier body mass, smaller waists, and better cholesterol levels compared to those with extreme breakfast habits.

The study found that quality was just as important as quantity when it came to breakfast. Participants who consumed low-quality breakfasts, regardless of size, showed similar negative health trends, such as increased waist measurements, poor blood fat profiles, and even decreased kidney function. Breakfast quality was assessed using the Meal Balance Index, which scores meals based on nine key nutritional components like protein, fats, fibre, potassium, calcium, and iron. This index also considers World Health Organization guidelines for added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Higher scores indicate better nutritional quality.

These findings, published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, are especially important for older adults aiming to manage or prevent heart disease. While prior research has shown that eating breakfast is better than skipping it, this study highlights that it’s not enough to just eat anything—both portion size and nutritional quality need to be carefully considered. Interestingly, the study was part of a larger health intervention where participants followed a Mediterranean diet and focused on weight loss. Even within this generally healthy dietary framework, the composition of breakfast had a significant impact on health outcomes.

What is the ideal breakfast
The study recommends that an ideal breakfast should comprise 20-30% of your daily calorie intake, equating to 400-600 calories for a 2,000-calorie diet. The focus should be on balanced meals that include whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fruits or vegetables while avoiding processed foods high in added sugars and unhealthy fats. With the rising challenges of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, optimizing breakfast can play a vital role in managing and preventing these health conditions.

As nutrition science evolves, it’s becoming increasingly clear that when we eat may be just as important as what we eat. This study highlights that starting our day with the right amount of high-quality nutrition could be a key to better metabolic health. Álvaro Hernáez, researcher at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, CIBER for Cardiovascular Diseases, and professor at Ramon Llull University, suggests that the old saying about breakfast being the most important meal of the day needs an update. “What and how you eat it matters,” he says, emphasising that controlled portion sizes and nutritional quality are crucial for improving cardiovascular health.

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