Sarawak observes Tamil 'Ponggal' harvest festival on Sunday

Following the success of the inaugural 'Ponggal' Harvest Fest in the Land of Hornbills last year, the Sarawak State Council of the Malaysian Hindu Sangham will hold the second edition of the festival on Sunday at the Kuching Waterfront.

Some 108 groups have confirmed participation in the festival which, among others, will feature the customary boiling of milk simultaneously using fresh milk in earthen pots which have been specially flown in from Kuala Lumpur.

The organiser said in a statement today that following last year's success, the Malaysian Hindu Sangham Sarawak chapter had made it a point to organise it every year as it brought together Sarawakians of many races and religions.

"We expect more people to turn up at this year’s event, not forgetting the tourists as well," said council patron Siva Kumar G in the statement.

Ponggal is a Tamil harvest festival celebrated in a big way in peninsular Malaysia and it is customary for Tamils to pay tribute by conducting a thanksgiving ritual to the Sun, praying for a bountiful harvest. This year, Ponggal falls on Friday Jan 15.

This has manifested into an annual thanksgiving festival to Mother Nature and the community’s way of wishing for success in all their endeavours and initiatives.

Siva Kumar said that despite the community being small in number in Sarawak, the desire to uphold its traditions, customs and values had to be enouraged and motivated further in line with the aims and objectives of the Malaysian Hindu Sangham that had made the Ponggal Harvest Festival a calendar event every year.

Sarawak Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah is expected to officiate at the festival.