Tamil Nadu - Tuticorin   

Pongal celebrated

Photo: N.Rajesh

BREATHTAKING: Students of St. Mary's College performing Paraiyattam during Pongal celebration in Tuticorin on Friday. —

Tuticorin: Students of St. Mary's College celebrated Pongal, the harvest festival, on the college premises of the college to mark Pongal, the festival of harvest.

Attired in rich colours, the students exhibited a variety of skills through cultural programmes. The emerging festive spirit at the scenario heralded the glory of Pongal festival.

In a bid to revive folk arts a group of artistes kept the spectators spellbound with their scintillating “Paraiyattam” with a blend of music and dance. Besides, the artistes displayed their talents through Oyilaattam, Karagam, Kummi and Koalaattam. Projecting Tamil culture, the students clad in traditional silk saris, prepared sweet pongal. Many students were also engaged in designing rangoli.

Amidst huge applause, they burst crackers and lit fireworks.

Kalaimaamani P. Kailasamurthy, the chief guest, who presided over the programme, inaugurated the “Kazhai Kulu” formed by the college in the presence of Sr. Decla, Principal.

“Adequate measures should be taken to encourage folk artistes. Due to technological advancements, the significance of folk arts was not familiar among people, Mr. Kaialasamurthy said. All educational institutions, including schools, should mandatorily impart the values of cultural heritage, he added.

Earlier, the programme commenced with invocations.

Corporation celebration

Samaththuva Pongal was observed by Corporation authorities here on Friday. P. Geetha Jeevan, Social Welfare Minister, along with Mayor R. Kasthuri Thangam and councilors representing various wards, joined in cooking sweet pongal on the premises of the newly established corporation office buildings.

New uniforms were also given to 25 sanitary workers on the occasion.

The new buildings were illuminated with colourful lights ahead of the festival. Thommai Sesuvadiyan, Deputy Mayor; M. Seeni Ajmal Khan, Commissioner; S.A. Rajagopalan, Executive Engineer, and other officials took part in the programme.

Tirunelveli

The harvest festival was celebrated in the government offices, hospitals and private schools and colleges with a lot of enthusiasm. In the ‘Pongal' celebrations held at the Office of Chief Educational Officer, CEO H. Mary Jessy Roach and others prepared ‘sweet pongal' and served it to everyone along with sugarcane, turmeric, palmyrah tuber.

Doctors, nurses and other staff of Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital celebrated ‘Pongal' in front of the main building of the hospital while the medicos celebrated the harvest festival on the college premises.

Most of the budding doctors participated in the celebration in white shirts and dhotis while the girls in silk saris.

‘Pongal' festival was also celebrated at St. Xavier's College, St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University.

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