Thai Pongal day messages

Tamils have more reason for joy

As Sri Lanka's Hindus join their fellow religionists the world over to celebrate Thai Pongal, the most popular of the Hindu festivals of Sri Lanka, today, they have even more reason for joy as they enjoy the freedom denied to most of them for nearly three decades, states President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a Thai Pongal message.

The message adds: "Thai Pongal is important in the Hindu calendar as the hallowed festival of the Sun.

It is twice hallowed as a harbinger of good harvest and as a harvest festival that celebrates the rewards of hard work reaped by farmers in the field.

“The widespread celebrations of Thai Pongal in all parts of Sri Lanka emphasize the plurality of our society as Hindus freely demonstrate their ties to a rich cultural heritage.

The festivities highlight the spirit of revival and rededication looking to the future with great hope and expectations of peace, harmony and understanding in our society. “I am glad that on this Thai Pongal day our Hindus can, in addition to their expectations for the future, also give thanks for the peace that has been won and their participation in the building of a new future for their own children and all of Sri Lanka. “I wish the Hindus of Sri Lanka a happy Thai Pongal and join them in their prayers for a lasting peace and a future of prosperity, with abundant trust and understanding among all people in our Motherland.”

Thai Pongal associated with prosperity

Thai Pongal is the beginning of the New Year and is associated with prosperity, happiness and fortune.

This Hindu festival is also connected with agriculture, where Hindu devotees use the first harvest to God 'Sun' by offering milk rice made out of it, states Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka in a Thai Pongal message.

The message adds: "This Thai Pongal festival also symbolises peaceful co-existence between animals and environment.

Hindus preserve these virtues by expressing their willingness to live peacefully and in brotherhood.

“It is highly gratifying that the Tamils particularly in the North and East are fortunate to celebrate this festival in their own areas after the end of the scourge of terrorism. “We, in the name of humanity, fervently, hope that these will be growth of mutual understanding and brotherhood among all sections of our people in keeping with the ideals of this great festival.”

New hopes, expectations

All Sri Lankans can look forward to the future with new hopes and expectations this year, said Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana in a Thai Pongal message.

The message: "Thai Pongal festival is an important religious event in Sri Lanka and Hindus associate this day with showing gratitude to Sun God and domestic cows which ensure them a bountiful harvest throughout the year.

This festival brings forth peace, happiness and brotherhood among others in the country. At a time when we are forging ahead as a free nation after the end of the terrorist war, we, Sri Lankans can look forward to the future with some new hopes and expectations in this year 2010. It would be a great example to the world if we can transform this festival as one that portrays our Sri Lankan identity with new expectations.

I extend my warmest greetings to Hindu devotees who celebrate this festival today. I also request them to live together as one nation by joining hands with all communities."

Important day - Hindu Congress

Taipongal is an important day in the calendar of the Hindus. With the dawn of the month of Thai, Hindus hope that a new era will dawn and that it will pave the way for a better future, said the All Ceylon Hindu Congress in a Thaipongal message.

The message: "Our brothers and sisters have been suffering in numerous ways for the last two decades. On this Thaipongal all the Hindus in this country pray that there will be salvation for them as early as possible.

We have been helping the displaced people in the Vanni in numerous ways. The Government arranged to release Hindu Priests and elders and also opened the A9 route responding to our requests and we also collaborated with the Government at the request of the Justice and Law Reforms Minister in providing education at Colombo Hindu College, Ratmalana for more than 270 children who were brought from the rehabilitation camps.

We also helped the undergraduates of the Jaffna University and the Eastern University who came from the IDP camps by making donations for them to establish their lives. We are thankful to London Kanaga Thurkai Amman Temple and Manitha Neyam Trust for financially assisting us in these projects.

We also thank President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP, Ministers Douglas Devananda and Milinda Moragoda for readily responding to our requests in the rehabilitation and relief works.

We were glad to be associated at the function held in Menik Farm, Chettikulam on Saturday when President Rajapaksa commenced releasing students who were in rehabilitation camps so that they can integrate into society. This release and integration is planned to take place in five stages.

At the same time MP Basil Rajapaksa has taken steps to provide infrastructure facilities such as roads etc, to Thiruketheeswaran Temple, one of the sacred places of Hindus in Mannar.

As a Federation of Hindu Religious Associations and Trusts in Sri Lanka, we have obtained the assistance of the Government and are providing whatever relief to the displaced people. We are at the same time conscious that a lot more has to be done for them.

We appeal to all our brothers and sisters on this occasion to assist us in the projects of relief and rehabilitation.

We pray on this Thaipongal Day to Shri Sivakami Amman Sametha Shri Nadarajah Peruman to bless our people with salvation in the immediate future."

New era dawns for Hindus

Hindus living all over the world celebrate this festival in gratitude for 'Sun' god for giving them a bountiful harvest and also for the cow which helps them in all their agricultural activities.

This 'Thai Pongal' festival also brings to them the dawn of a new year which brings new hopes among them, said National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa issuing a Thai Pongal day message.

Hindu devotees living in the North and East were unable a reap a good harvest for the past three decades due to LTTE threats which plagued them. This festival in the past was a mere day and not a happy day for them. However, they are fortunate enough to enjoy a successful harvest and move about freely today. It needs to be mentioned here that a foreign conspiracy is in progress today to plunge them into darkness once again at a time when they are about to step into a prosperous future.

Therefore, the people should make a resolution to defeat those conspiratory forces while forging ahead to rebuild the national unity in the country.