Joy and exhilaration were on display as the Auckland Tamil Association celebrated Tamil New Year at the Freeman's Bay Community Centre on Saturday, April 23.
The event, which was held after a hiatus of more than nine months, drew members of the association as well as the wider public.
With NZ moving into the orange traffic light system as part of its pandemic management, the gathering witnessed the unveiling of the Auckland Tamil Association Yearbook in the presence of dignitaries, who included Minister of Transport, Workplace Relations and Safety, Michael Wood, Labour MP Vanushi Walters, Ibrahim Omar, National MP Melissa Lee, Hon Consul of India, Bhav Dhillon, as well as leaders of other community associations.
Vai Ravindran, president of the Auckland Tamil Association, joined other speakers in acknowledging the unmistakable sense of elation felt by one and all present on the occasion.
"It is great to be able to hold events like this in person again," Michael Wood observed.
The minister opened his speech with the traditional Tamil greeting, “Tamil puth-aandu null vaizthugal”, which drew applause from the assembled crowd, cementing his special title of "Tamil Selvan"- meaning "Son of Tamil" – bestowed on him by the association in 2018. Wood lauded the association for not letting Covid restrictions deter them from serving the community.
The occasion evoked similar memories in Melissa Lee and Vanushi Walters, who recollected the New Year celebrations in their own homes. They noted the striking similarity in the way New Year is celebrated among the diverse ethnic cultural groups in Aotearoa.
"It is great to be back with our communities. The thriving and successful Tamil community is a real star and always a part of the initiatives launched by the Indian High Commission and supports our wider Indian diaspora,” said Bhav Dhillon, Honorary Consul of India.
Earlier, Vai Ravindran pointed to the importance of festivals."They are a celebration of culture, traditions, history and society. Festivals endorse, encourage and deliver social support for the attendees. They help in promoting mental and emotional wellbeing, and when celebrated as a community in a gathering such as this, they promote inclusion."
Dr Rabindranath, a nephrologist in Waikato DHB and Abhishek Ravi, a well-known young Bharat Natyam dancer, were honoured by the association for their significant contribution to society.
Dr Rabindranath, who hails from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, had been practising for many years in the UK before joining Waikato DHB in 2013 and since then has been very active in the Tamil Society of Waikato. He is recognised for his scholarship and oratory in Tamil.
Abhishek Ravi is a fixture on the Auckland cultural scene. An accomplished dancer, Abhishek emerged the winner of the reality show, 'NZ Dance Masala', that was aired on TV3 . Abhishek is set to embrace his new role as Youth MP representing the Mt Roskill electorate at the forthcoming Youth Parliament
ISSUE
