Fun, food and fervour marked Ugadi celebrations in Auckland with members of the Indian Telugu community coming together for the festivities.
Organised by the Mana Andhra Telugu Association New Zealand (MATA NZ), the event on March 19, 2023, celebrated the Telugu New Year with guests enjoying themselves among dignitaries, delectable food and vivid performances.
About 300 people attended the event at Freemans Bay Community Centre in Auckland Central. Among the dignitaries were Michael Wood, Minister of Immigration, Transport, Workplace Relations & Safety and Auckland; Vai Ravindran, President of Auckland Tamil Association; Narender Reddy Patlola, ex President of Telangana Association of New Zealand, Sadasivam Kutty, President Muth Tamil Sangam, and Telangana Jagruthi President Jyothi Muddam.
Indra Sirigiri, CEO of Auckland-based recruitment and logistics contract service provider Link2group, was the special guest of honour at the celebrations.
Andhra Pradesh’s culture was on full display, be it through dance performances or the food that was served at the event. From authentic vegetarian Andhra food and ‘panchanga sravanam’, the ritual of reading the almanac during Ugadi, to cultural performances by the members of MATA NZ and other state organisations, the event had something to offer for one and all.
“As the president, I am overwhelmed by the event's grand success and how wonderfully we welcomed the Telugu New Year. The event was all about promoting a sense of oneness in the community and social cohesion. Presidents of other organisations praised the efforts of MATA core committee members for arranging this event in a timely and professional manner," said Dr Reginald Samuel, President of MATA NZ.
The attendees, too, had a great time. Entrepreneur Siva Kilari, National Party's candidate from Manurewa for the upcoming elections, said, "Such events are a great way to spend time with our community. I thoroughly loved being there. The event was all about spreading cultural cheer.”
Another guest, Sunitha Itla, said, “I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the fun-filled evening with ‘panchanga patanam’ and cultural programmes followed by authentic dinner. The Wonder Girls’ performance on the Bollywood medley was awesome. Thank you, MATA team, for a fantabulous evening of entertainment.”
This was the second Ugadi celebration by MATA NZ, a community association formed in December 2020 with the aim of building connections amongst the more than 10,000 Telugu-speaking people in the country.
It endeavours to enrich the lives of NZ Telugu-speaking residents and visitors by encouraging local involvement and interactions within multicultural events and promoting the country as a rich international multicultural destination for culture, art, performances and entertainment.
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