Northern troops join 'Pongal' celebrations
January 18, 2019Sri Lanka Army troops in the Northern region joined in to celebrate the 'Thai Pongal' festival with the local communities carrying out a range of welfare programmes. According to Army media, these programmes were conducted in a number of places across the region by troops. Accordingly, troops provided 100 children from low-income families with stationary packs and school accessories and 26 differently able civilians clutches and a wheelchair during a ceremony held at the Sri Bhadrakaali Kovil premises at Sangarathai in Wadukkodai. The ceremony also saw 1000 coconut sapling being distributed among the civilians in the region.
Troops in Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi regions also conducted a numbers of welfare programme including offering free food to devotees attending religious observances, dry ration packs to low income families, sports events, and also a shramadana programme to clean a temple premises. During one of these programmes, the district topper at the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam, R. Durhana at Palampai College in Mullaittivu was presented with a scholarship, monetary assistance and school accessories.
Thai Pongal is an important festival celebrated by the Tamil community. The festival was celebrated on Tuesday (15 January).
