Happy Muhkta Day

Happy Muhkta (MOO-Kta) Day is a cultural holiday in the in the south Indian region of Tondai Nadu.The celebration marks the deliverance of the Pudukkotai people from a famine threatened after a year of drought. In 1803, after a year's drought,sustained rains delivered the populace from the threat. Muhkta (more commonly referred to as mujadara) refers to a lentils/rice mash popular at the time, often eaten in balled-up form.

Happy Muhkta Day c. 1804, is celebrated by a traditional dance consisting of raising hands, snapping fingers, and dancing in a circle wishing all a happy Happy Muhkta day. At sundown, the traditional meal of Muhkta is eaten communally. When the heat of the day breaks, townspeople throw all the leftover Muhkta at each other symbolizing the abundance of food available after the drought was over.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tondaihttp://herbivoracious.com/2007/10/recipe-mujadara.html