Thai Pongal festival celebrates Tamil culture and supports vulnerable children
During the celebrations in Hindu temples and Christian churches, school material was handed out to 175 pupils from the disadvantaged Malaiyaha community. The initiative, by the Voice of Plantation People (VOPP), combines faith and cultural identity; particularly this year, which marked 200 years since the arrival of the first Tamils from India to work in local plantations.
Deniyaya (AsiaNews) – Thai Pongal, one of the most important festivals in Tamil culture, was celebrated on Tuesday, 14 January, by Hindu devotees in temples as well as Tamil Christians in churches in the hill country of Sri Lanka’s Southern Province.
The festival, which celebrates the harvest and thanks the sun, Mother Nature and animals, was accompanied by the preparation of the traditional Pongal – rice cooked with milk and brown sugar – and the distribution of books and school materials to the children of the local Malaiyaha (Malayaga), a community still disadvantaged compared to other Tamils.
The word "Thai" refers to the first month of the Tamil calendar. The Voice of Plantation People (VOPP) promoted the celebration, handing out material to 175 talented schoolchildren in Galle and Matara districts.
Blessing ceremonies (pujas) were performed for the community at the Pattini Amman Hindu temple at the Thalgaswala Estate and the Pussawala Hindu Temple in Deniyaya, while in St Joseph Church in Deniyaya, Fr Sebastian Nagaraj celebrated a special Mass, integrating Tamil rituals, a practice approved by the Vatican.
In his homily, Fr Nagaraj stressed that Thai Pongal, although not a religious holiday, belongs to Tamil culture and represents an opportunity to thank God for Creation.
He explains that celebrating this festival with Tamil rituals and customs, faith and cultural identity are united, offering a blessing to the entire community.
The priest, who noted that this year marks the 200th anniversary of the migration of the first Malaiyaha community to Sri Lanka, urged the faithful to live with gratitude and brotherhood, without discrimination.
The Malaiyaha are ethnic Tamils brought to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) from British India to work under harsh conditions on tea plantations.
Community representatives, like M. Devika, S. Simeon and Mahinda Kumar, who spoke to AsiaNews, called the VOPP initiative a "noble act" that demonstrates true brotherhood.
P. Kaweesh and S. Subhashini, two of the students who received gifts, expressed gratitude to the donors, noting that the material they received was an encouragement to study harder.
The principal of Igalkanda Tamil Primary School, Naganathan N. Roshini, praised VOPP as the first group to provide such valuable help to students.
The initiative was made possible thanks to the support of local and international benefactors from countries such as Australia and Italy.
The celebration of Thai Pongal also brought attention to the hardships faced by the Malaiyaha community, who, despite its important contribution to Sri Lanka's economy, continues to fight for the recognition of its fundamental rights.
The VOPP secretariat, based in Negombo and composed entirely of Catholics, works to build a solid foundation that guarantees essential rights for the community, carrying on a 200-year tradition of work and resilience.
.png)
16/01/2023 12:07
27/11/2023 16:58
