India
Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal extended greetings to Tamil population living here, on the occasion of Pongal Festival and said that it is a festival of happiness and prosperity. Festivals like Pongal and Sakranti are celebrated when farmers harvest their crops. The Chief Minister laid down the foundation stone of community hall in the premises of Bharathi Bhawan, Sector-30, during the Pongal festival celebrations organised by Chandigarh Tamil Sangam.
While addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has urged the people of the country for cultural exchange between different states of the country for better coordination between the states, under Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat. The people of Tamil Nadu through Chandigarh Tamil Sangam has paved way to better coordination between people of both the states.
The Tamil population celebrated the festival in a grand way and the function was inaugurated by K Vaidyanathan, Chief Editor of famous Tamil daily ‘Dinamani’.
On the occasion, Charitable Dental Clinic was also inaugurated. About 1,100 people attended the function including officials of Haryana and Punjab government. During the festival celebrations, traditional cultural artists from Thanjavur and Tamil Nadu enthralled the audience.
Other cultural performances included Bharatnatyam and performances by children of Ashiana and Anand Home. Sumptuous feast that included 16 varieties of dishes were served on banana leaf in a traditional way to the people.
