Samathuva Pongal celebrated in all panchayats in Virudhunagar district

Samathuva Pongal (Equality Pongal) was celebrated at all the 450 village panchayats in Virudhunagar district where people cutting across caste and religious lines participated.

Besides, cooking pongal, the local people participated in rangoli competitions. Various sports competitions were held for the children on the occasion.

Revenue Minister, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, participated in the Pongal celebrations at Kadambankulam panchayat near Virudhunagar.

At the festival celebrated at Samathuvapuram in Kalkurichi near Kariyapatti, Finance Minister, Thangam Thennarasu, and Virudhunagar Collector, N.O. Sukhaputra, participated.

Several cultural programmes, including folk dances like ‘mayilattam’ and ‘karagam,’ were performed on the occasion to entertain the people.

The festival began with garlanding the statue of social reformist, Periyar. The Minister also distributed Pongal gift hampers on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Thennarasu said that though Pongal was celebrated across the country in different social and traditional ways, the festival is being celebrated without any discrimination of caste, religion, race or economical differences as the festival of Tamils (Tamilar Tirunal).

“Such a celebration of the festival of harvest or festival of farmers is being celebrated as a festival of equality. Pongal has been identified with mother tongue of Tamil Nadu. Tamil speaking people across the globe are united with the language. Thus this festival kindles this sentiment of being Tamilian,” he said.

The Chief Minister has made the Pongal festival more happy among the people by giving ₹3,000 along with rice, sugar and cane.

The social welfare schemes are being implemented as social development schemes in Tamil Nadu, he added. Hence, the 11.6% economic development achieved by Tamil Nadu is inclusive of the development of the downtrodden people.