Tamil New Year, or Puthandu (Tamil) is the first day of the year on the Tamil calendar (14th April 2023) and is traditionally celebrated as a festival. It is also celebrated by Tamils outside of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (India) such as in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Reunion, Mauritius and other countries with Tamil diaspora.
MuKaMai will be hosting this event to create an opportunity for local community members to learn about, experience and celebrate the festival, and be enriched by cross-cultural interactions.
The event hall will come to life, with displays of a variety of traditional items and hands‐on trials of various activities, such as flower tying, mehendi, saree draping, etc.. The festivities will commence at 4 pm and guests will be welcomed with Parai, the traditional Tamil music.
From 4.30-5pm, the stage performances will commence with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony, followed by short speeches from the various dignitaries (the Indian Consul General, Minister, MP, MLAs, etc.) who will be attending the festival. This will then be followed by spectacular art performances, by the children and volunteers of MuKaMai Tamil School, other Tamil schools, and various other organizations (ISWA, TAWA, HAWA, MWA ). There will also be professional performers to impart the culture in various formats such as music, dance and drama.
During the course of the performances, there will also be a slideshow presentation containing information about the Tamil language, arts and culture. Delicious food will be also available for purchase, and a selection of Indian sweets will be available for free sampling.