The guests assembled in the courtyard waited expectantly for the milk to boil over as the harvest festival of Pongal was celebrated at the Indian High Commission in Wellington on February 12 .
Ladies were invited to lend a hand to stir the pot, while emptying fistfuls of rice into the milk. Jaggery, cashew and raisins were then added to prepare the traditional Tamilian festive dish called Pongal, amidst ululating voices.
Once the Pongal was prepared, the guests took their seats in the auditorium where the programme opened with a karakia (prayer) by the Wellington Mutamizh Tamil Sangam’s te reo Maori group .
The karakia was followed by the rendition of a Tamil song by Wellington musician Arvind and his team. The students of the Natraj School of Dance then performed a classical dance choreographed by the school’s founder and director Prabha Ravi.
The dignitaries in attendance included Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan, Wellington Mutamizh Sangam President Karuna Muthu, New Zealand Tamil Sangam President Raveen Annamalai, Superintendent of NZ Police Rakesh Naidoo, Deputy CEO of the Ministry of Ethnic Communities Pratima Namasivayam, as well as Wellington City councillors Ben McNulty, Tony Randel and Ray Chang .
First up, High Commissioner Bhushan , hosting her first Pongal celebration in Aotearoa, acknowledged the role played by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in preserving Indian culture and heritage. She quoted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as saying that “Kashi is the cultural capital of India whereas Tamil Nadu is the centre of India’s antiquity and glory.”
A Kummi dance performance choreographed by Sivasankari Yuvaraj followed next. The kummi is a harvest dance marked by clapping and ululation.
Karuna Muthu evoked the images of Pongal, such as the “decorated clay pot brimming with sweet Pongal at the cowshed.” Tamil -speaking people are an ethnic group hailing from different countries which include ( but are not limited to) Tamil Nadu in India , Sri Lanka , Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa and Fiji, he pointed out.
Muthu said his organisation ran te reo Maori language classes in partnership with the Maori Language Commission, youth sports clubs, art and culture activities, as well as a Covid project during the pandemic .
“The Wellington Mutamizh Sangam is part of [the] Aotearoa New Zealand Federation of Tamil Sangams,” Muthu said.
He added: “In 2004, Tamil was declared a classical language of India. This means it met three criteria: its origins are ancient, it has an independent tradition, and it has a considerable body of ancient literature.” Muthu proceeded to enlighten the audience on the evolution of Tamil as a classical Dravidian language.
Superintendent of Police Naidoo applauded the efforts of the Wellington Mutamizh Sangam in reaching out to the Maori community through the te reo classes and visits to the Marae.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Pratima Namasivayam of the Ministry of Ethnic Communities, who said: “Culture and heritage play an important role in ensuring inclusive and cohesive societies. Cultural participation can help mitigate social and economic marginalisation.”
The programme culminated with more variety entertainment.
ISSUE
Leave a Comment