The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Various competitions, pujas mark Pongal festivities

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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Various competitions, pujas mark Pongal festivities

PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

Slice of life: A woman performing ‘aarthi’ to an ox during the Pongal celebrations at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore on Tuesday and (above) a mega kolam drawn in front of Kikani School in Coimbatore as part of the celebrations organised by the Rotractors, Chitrakala Academy and Pepsico India Private Limited. –

Competitions in drawing kolam, special pujas in temples and for cattle marked Pongal festivities in Coimbatore. In an effort to bridge the rural-urban divide in Pongal celebrations, Rotaract Clubs of Coimbatore, Chitrakala Academy and Pepsico India Holdings Private Limited organised a ‘Mega kolam’ event at Kikkani School.

The kolam was drawn using 60 kg each of red, violet, yellow, green and blue powders besides other materials.

The 120 ft by 100 ft kolam depicted a pongal pot, sugarcane on either side with sun and crops. A rangoli added colour to the pongal scene. A large crowd gathered at the venue to see it.

“Urban population got an opportunity to understand how the their rural counterparts celebrated the Pongal,” said J. Sathish Kumar, District Rotaract Representative of R.I District 3200.

Artists led by V. Chandrasekhar and M. Rajesh from Chitrakala Academy completed the mega kolam.

The Pepsico organised a competition for drawing kolam. Sheik Uduman, General Manager, Market Development, Pepsico India Holdings Pvt. Ltd said the response from the residents of Coimbatore was overwhelming.

TNAU

The celebration at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University central farm began when decorated and painted cows and oxen were brought in by the men to the puja pandal. The women, who had prepared the pongal, offered special pujas. The pongal was then fed to the animals.

Women performed a ‘kummiyattam’ and the men tried their hand at a tug of war.

Prizes for events that were held as a prelude to the Pongal day were given away to the winners. Vice-Chancellor of the university C. Ramasamy said that hard work of farmers culminated in the bountiful harvest festival, Pongal.

Addressing farm labourers who worked at the farms in the university he sought their continued cooperation in the coming year too.

“Pongal marks the coming together of people to celebrate the harvest of the crops that they had grown and to show respect to the natural resources – land, water, vegetation and cattle. It is an opportunity for the farmers to celebrate and enjoy after long months of hard work,” said Mr. Ramasamy.

He stated that the university was one of the biggest families in the State with thousands of people employed in nearly 60 units, comprising different campuses, research stations and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. “There is no other university in the State that enjoys such a close link with the people, especially the farmers, for whom the university carries out several extension activities.” Registrar of the university P. Santhana Krishnan, Deans, scientists and farm labourers participated in the celebrations.

Sharanalayam

About 150 children affected and infected with HIV/AIDS attended the Pongal festivities at Sharanalayam, a home that rehabilitates orphaned, disabled and HIV infected children, near Pollachi on January 15.

The celebration included dance competition, puppet show, mimicry and karakattam.

A special dance show by a team from Chennai added colour to the festivities.

One of the children at Sharanalayam’s ‘Jheevan,’ a home for HIV positive children and adults, won the first prize in the competition. “We gave scores of gifts to the children. It brought such joy to them,” says N.Vanitha, chairperson of Sharanalayam. Their gifts included notebooks, clothes and even watches.

On Wednesday, the home organised several competitions for the people living in the near-by slums. They prepared pongal and had a grand lunch.

The adults and children took part in decorating the cattle at the home.

The gifts were sponsored by Rotary Club of Pollachi, Ms.Vanitha added.

V.S. Palaniappan, Amutha Kannan and Anasuya Menon in Coimbatore

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