PONGGAL - TAMIL HARVEST FESTIVAL CELEBRATION

         

Mary Martin, Christina Lasar and a friend pouring milk into the rice pot  during the start of the Ponggal Celebration

Ponggal (Tamil Harvest Festival) was celebrated after mass at 10.00 am with Fr. Robert  blessing the  fire to start cooking the pot of  sweetened rice. Several of our ladies then poured milk into the rice pot, until it was overflowing with milk. This festival is a Thanksgiving for a good harvest in the old days when farming was an important occupation. This was the first time for many parishioners to witness Ponggal. Although the Tamil speaking community consisted of a few families, they were still able to decorate the church beautifully with banana leaves, flowers and colourful 'kolam' drawings ( made from coloured rice) at the entrance of the church and the Fatima Hall. Thanks to Mary Martin who initiated the celebration and to all members of the Indian Community for making this celebration a meaningful one. The guests were treated to a delicious vegetarian brunch of ponggal sweetened rice and other Indian delicacies such as putu mayam, dahl curry, cakes and jelly.

           This is the 2nd time Ponggal (Tamil Harvest Festival) was celebrated in the parish . The First time was about 14 years ago, when Fr. Francis Xavier Selvarajoo was here. He was a professor of Liturgy, and organised courses and para-liturgical celebrations during his short stay here in Kota Bharu.

The beautifully coloured 'Kolam' drawings made with coloured rise at the  Church entrance

The beautiful and wonderfully dressed ladies wishing all  a Happy Ponggal!

The rice pot with rice and milk cooking the Ponggal rice.

"More hands make light work" and "United we stand'

Adding more milk till  the pot is overflowing is one of the highlights of the celebration

Looking on the cooking of Ponggal Rice

Noel Clement and his family helping out at the Ponggal Celebration

The Ponggal dancers of Fatima led by Roseanna Martin

Beautifully decorated Kolam

Banana leaves and flowers decoration for Ponggal