(picture credit: CTS)
The Canterbury Tamil Society (CTS) which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, celebrated the Thai Pongal festival last weekend.
Along with the traditional festivities, there were some traditional sports such as Uri Adi (breaking the pot), and others like sack race, fruit picking, lemon and spoon, during the day.
Suba Suren, secretary of CTS who is originally from Sri Lanka informed, “It’s our big celebration every year, and this year was the same with the entire Tamil community of Canterbury coming together. We represent Tamils living in the Canterbury region and are actively involved in promoting Tamil language and culture to the younger generation. We also run Tamil language, and cultural dance classes, every Saturday between 4 to 6.30pm at the Riccarton Baptist Church.”
Her society has over 150 members hailing from India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, as well as from South Africa, she added.
-TIN Bureau
What is Pongal? Pongal, which in Tamil means “to boil”, is a four-day-long harvest festival celebrated by Tamilians across the world, which falls every year in the month of Thai (January-February) when crops are harvested. Pongal is also the name of a dish – sweetened rice boiled with lentils – which is prepared during this festive time.
