Imagine hundreds of pots bubbling over with fragrant rice or a beautiful foot-thumping traditional dance. Join the Tamil Victorians as they celebrate ‘Thai Pongal—Tamil Harvest Festival and New Year’ on 19 January, between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm at ‘GAA Gaelic Park, 324 Perry Road, Keysborough VIC 3173’. The event is designed to be a daylong cultural experience and entertainment for the whole family with free entry.
Tamil is more than a language. It is a 3,000 year old civilisation. Tamil is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world and spoken by about 75 million people throughout the world. And Victoria is a home to thousands of Tamils originated from various countries including Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and South Africa. The community has become an integral part of social, economic and cultural fabric of Victoria.
Respecting and being thankful to the nature is an inherent aspect of the Tamil Heritage. ‘Thai Pongal’, a harvest festival—thanks giving to the nature, is a prominent Tamil festival. It is celebrated on the first day of the first month ‘Thai’ in the Tamil Calendar (15 January). The Thai Pongal celebration is coordinated by ‘Casey Tamil Manram Inc’ in partnership with various community organisations and has been named ‘The Tamil Festival Australia’.
The event will feature Making traditional rice pudding (Pongal) in hundreds of pots; an open stage programs reflecting cultural diversity of Victoria; exciting traditional games; traditional food stalls, kids’ entertainment and exhibitions.
As an extension to this event, a weeklong Tamil Heritage Exhibition will be held at ‘Queens Hall, Parliament House, Victoria’ between 17 February and 21 February.
The Tamil Festival 2020 is coordinated by Casey Tamil Association in partnership with various community organisations including Tamil Senior Citizens Fellowship (Victoria), Jaffna Hindu College OBA of Australia, Victoria, Hartley College PPA—Victoria Branch, Australia Tamil Arts, Tamil Senior Citizens Benevolent Society Victoria, Tamil Graded Readers, Singing Fish Old Students Association, VIC and Australian Tamil Literary and Arts Society.
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