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by Divakara Mohotti, Kalutara group correspondent

A grand Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival linking Tebuwana in Kalutara with the Sri Kandasamy Kovil in Vavuniya will be telecast live on ITN on Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day April 14 from 5.00 a.m.

The program titled "Suriya Mangallaya and Avurudu Sajje 2002" is aimed to foster mutual understanding among people in the South and North and create a sense of unity and peace through cultural links, said a spokesman for ITN which is organising the event.

The festivities in Vavuniya will be more of a religious and cultural note while those in Tebuwana will have music and sports events in addition to normal New Year rituals.

Tebuwana is situated on the banks of the Kaluganga, 9 miles off Kalutara on the Neboda Road. The venue at Tebuwana is a 40 acre meadow earlier used as a meadow by the British Planters' Association. Highlights at Tebuwana will include traditional games and dance display, an Avururu Kumari Contest and a musical show featuring popular artistes. Traditional games will include Elephant Tirikkala (single cart) and bicycle races, swimming meet in the Kalu Ganga, coconut scraping contest, climbing the greasy pole, pillow fighting and a tug-o-war for men and women.

Both locals and foreigners are entitled to participate in these contests. A special feature will be a parade by Avurudu Kumari contestants over a pontoon bridge built across the Kalu Ganga. Messrs J. R. P. Sooriyapperuma, Rohana Beddage and Jayasena Kottegoda will add lustre to the festival at Tebuwana by acting as the comperes.

Vocalists who will make the Avurudu Sajje colourful include Edward Jayakody, Neela Wickramasinghe, Rohana Beddage, Ishac Baig, Annesley Malawana, Saman de Silva, Lionel Ranwala, Indrani Perera, Wijeratne Warakagoda, Sirira Senaratne and Indrani Wijebandara among others.

Staff of ITN led by General Manager, Mr. Lokugamage, Programmes Manager, Nihal Abeysooriya and Assistant Manager, Vipula Ratnasiri and Dulakshi Perera are working round the clock to make this event a grand success. 

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