Ponggal celebration for the local community

The Star online

Friday January 21, 2011

THE Kelana Jaya MIC division recently organised a Ponggal celebration to commemorate the harvest festival.

The festival was originally celebrated by South Indians to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.

Kelana Jaya parliamentary liaison officer and Kelana Jaya MCA division chairman Ong Chong Swen was invited as the guest of honour to cook the first pot of Ponggal rice in sweet boiled milk with cashew nuts, raisins and ghee.

The ladies present got excited and cheered “pongalo, ponggal” when the pot cooked by Ong spilled over the pot twice, which is taken as a good sign for the whole year.

Giving thanks: Ong (centre) cooking the first pot of Ponggal rice. With her are (back row, second from left) Muthu, Gan and Chang.

More than 100 women, young and old, and dressed in their colourful saris, participated in the celebration that saw them cooking over brick stoves at the open space in front of the Kelana Jaya MIC division in Desa Mentari, Petaling Jaya.

Besides taking home a pot of sweet boiled rice, all the participants were presented a piece of sarong by Ong and Kelana Jaya MIC division chairman Datuk S.M. Muthu.

In her speech, Ong pledged her continuous efforts to work with all communities in the Kelana Jaya constituency.

Meanwhile, Muthu urged the women to take good care of their families and participate in the various community activities.

Accompanying Ong at the event were Kelana Jaya MCA division secretary Gan Meng Foo, Kelana Jaya MCA Youth deputy chairman Chen Siang Hooi and Kelana Jaya MCA Wanita deputy organising secretary Angela Chang.