JB - Festival celebration sees a multiracial gathering

Even though the ponggal festival (harvest festival) ended more than two months ago, the festival is still celebrated belatedly in some places.

Hundreds of people from different races attended a family-day cum ponggal celebrations held at the Taman Tun Aminah open field recently.

Held annually for the past 15 years by the Gelang Patah MIC division, some 100 ladies were involved by cooking ponggal rice (sweetened rice) before serving them to the public.

Making the ponggal: The participants at the Ponggal celebrations.

Besides food, a silambam demonstration, colouring contest and a children’s costume contest were among the programme highlights.

MIC deputy president Datuk G.Palanivel who officiated the event called on the Indians to bring more people from other races to participate in events organised by the community.

“We should celebrate such festivals as one big Malaysian family,” he said.

Gelang Patah MIC division chief Datuk K.S Balakrishnan described the turnout the best ever since his division started organising the event.

“I am also happy to see people from other communities, he said, adding that such events can help bridge the racial gaps among the many communities in the country.”