Tamils in Singapore to kick off Pongal celebrations in Little India
Pongal, heralding the onset of spring, will be celebrated from Jan 15 to 18 in Singapore
Updated: Jan 6th, 2024
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| Image: IANS |
Organised by the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC), the festivities will be held across two weekends -- Jan 6-7 and Jan 13-14, reported a Singaporean daily on Jan 5.
On the heritage trail to Little India, visitors can enjoy the sights and sounds of the festivities and learn about various foods and decorations related to Pongal.
In addition, they can also look forward to seeing live cattle on display along the trail at the 2024 edition of the Pongal Open House.
The 1.1 sq km Little India district, comprising a large Tamil population, is the hub of ethnic shops, desi restaurants, temples and mosques.
There will also be a cooking demonstration on how to prepare pongal, a sweet dish which shares its name with the festival.
The cooking demonstration will be conducted by chef Anil Ravindran owner of Chemmeen SG, a catering company on Jan 14.
“It is my first year being involved in the celebrations, and I am super excited to be here. Pongal is a festival where we pay homage to the simplest of ingredients, and I am very happy to carry this tradition forward,” Ravindran told a newspaper.
The activities will be complemented by the pongal light-up, which will be on display until Feb 6 in Little India.
A slew of traditional performances and activities have been planned. While some activities are free, others are ticketed with prices ranging from $10 to $18.
The Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA) will also hold its own events to mark the harvest festival throughout January, including cultural shows and pongal distribution.
Pongal, heralding the onset of spring, will be celebrated from Jan 15 to 18 in Singapore.
According to the ministry of external affairs, Indians make up around 9% of the city-state’s six million population.
The approximate population of Indians in Singapore as of 2024 is 7 lakh, and at 54.18%, Tamils from countries like India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia form the largest ethnic group.
(Source: IANS)
-Edited for style
