Lankan embassy celebrates Thai Pongal in US
The Sri Lanka embassy in Washington DC began its calendar of events
for the year, with a colourful celebration of the Hindu harvest
festival, Thai Pongal on January 15 amidst a large gathering of Hindu
devotees of the Sri Lankan American community, representatives Sri Lanka
associations and US officials.
Swami Sivanatha Kurukkal recited prayers and conducted religious
activities according to Hindu traditions. The evening's proceeding
commenced with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp.
|
Swami Sivanatha Kurukkal and Kanaga Ranganthan with
the embassy officials at the Thai Pongal ceremony organised
by the Sri Lankan embassy in Washington. |
Chargé d'Affaires ambassador Esala Weerakoon welcomed the guests and
conveyed greetings from Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya.
He said it has been a custom of the Sri Lankan embassy to celebrate
the important dates of all major religions practiced in Sri Lanka.
Weerakoon said this year's Thai Pongal is celebrated at an important
juncture of the country's history.
"We celebrate Thai Pongal in Sri Lanka with peace and tranquility
today. Under the visionary leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa,
Sri Lanka is making rapid economic progress and unity among communities
is being forged closely," he said.
Weerakoon said the time is right for all who call Sri Lanka their
home, to join in a collective endeavour to ensure peace, unity and
prosperity, in their collective life both at home and abroad.
The programme also featured a special talk on The significance of
Thai Pongal by Kanaga Ranganthan.
Ranganathan cited Sri Lanka as a nation where diverse communities
live in peace and harmony with each other.
"Sri Lanka is blessed and gifted by Mother Nature and the divine
nature to have so much of diversity and multiplicity of the people
living their," she said.
"We find people of different faiths worshiping their own deities in
their own way and living very harmoniously with each other which is the
true nature of the Sri Lankans," she said.
|
Embassy staff with Sri Lankan American community members
preparing the traditional Pongal Kolam in Washington. |
Ranganathan thanked Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya and the embassy
for organising Thai Pongal celebrations on behalf of the Sri Lankan
Tamil community in the US.
Swami Sivanatha Kurukkal while offering Hindu prayers, presented the
offering of Pongal to Lord Ganesh and Deities. He blessed the Presidents
of Sri Lanka and the US, the people of the two countries, and all
participants.
Later, the guests enjoyed a Sri Lankan vegetarian dinner.
US Deputy Assistant Secretaries of State for South and Central Asian
Affairs Dr. Alyssa Ayres and James Moore, US government officials, Hindu
American Foundation representatives, journalists and Sri Lankan
community leaders of the Greater Washington were present.
The Hindu harvest festival, Thai Pongal is one of the important
religious events celebrated in Sri Lanka.
It is the thanksgiving ceremony of Hindus to show their gratitude
towards the Sun God for helping them to reap a bountiful harvest. |
