Muthamil Sangam event on Saturday, April 27 at Freeman’s Bay,
Venkat Raman
Auckland, April 20, 2019
Music and dance that highlight local talent and ventriloquism by a visiting artiste from Bengaluru are among the highlights of the ‘Chittirai Thiruvizha,’ due to be held in Auckland next weekend.
Organised by Muthamil Sangam, the event will commence at 6 pm at Freeman’s Bay Community Hall, 52 Hepburn Street, Freeman’s Bay in Central Auckland.
Tickets, priced at $10 per adult and $5 per child (5 to 12 years of age) are now on sale. Further details can be obtained from President Maninilavan Arivukkarasu on 021-0375457 or Secretary Karthik Ramanathan on 021-1751777.
Ventriloquism after dinner
Indushree Raveendra, an internationally renowned and India’s first Ventriloquist, will perform after dinner, which may be around 830 pm.
“Muthamil Sangam believes in promoting local artistes at its events and as such the first part of the ‘Chittirai Thiruvizha’ will provide opportunities for performers from our community. Ventriloquists from India do not visit New Zealand often and hence we have arranged for the performance of Indushree, who will participate in the 25th Anniversary Celebrations of the New Zealand Kannada Koota the same evening at Avondale College,” he said.
Indushree Raveendra
As published earlier, according to Deccan Herald, the oldest English daily of Bengaluru (Bangalore), Indushree is the only Indian woman who is entered in the Limca Book of Records for performing in the longest broadcasting live ‘Zee Kannada TV show’ inclusive of 68 episodes.
“She has enamoured Farah Khan (Producer of Hindi films) and Anu Malik (Music Director) when she performed using a real dog named ‘Rocky’ as her dummy during one of the seasons of ‘Entertainment Ke Liye Kucch Bhi Karega’ on Sony TV. She has performed with ‘Mahishasura,’ a ten-feet high doll during Dasara festivities in Mysore to claim an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for using the world’s tallest doll in ventriloquism,” the publication said.
Chittirai Vizha
Tamilians in New Zealand marked their New Year on April 14 with the birth of ‘Chittirai,’ the first month in the Tamil Calendar. Hence, ‘Chittirai Vizha’ is a befitting celebration.
Sangam Secretary Karthik Ramanathan said that the ‘Vizha’ (Festival) will bring together a cross-section of our communities.
“The dawn of a New Year always brings with it new hopes for a new era, with people wishing for peace and harmony, higher levels of growth and prosperity and greater community amity and social cohesion. Such hopes are more pronounced in a multicultural country like New Zealand where people join in the festivities of various cultural groups, expressing their joy and solidarity,” he said.
Importance for Tamils
Tamil New Year is of immense significance for Tamil-speaking people of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry (formerly known as ‘Pondicherry’), Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, South Africa, East Africa, Indian countries – in fact, throughout the world.
According to Vedic Astrology and Classic literature, there are 60 years which rotate, each corresponding to ‘Samvatsara,’ or Jovian Year (which related to Planet Jupiter). The Tamil New Year 2019-2020 is ‘Sri Vikari,’ the 33rd Samvatsara.
Known as ‘Puthandu’ or ‘Pudthuvarusham,’ the observance of Tamil New Year Day is set with the Solar Cycle of the Lunisolar Hindu Calendar as the first day of the Tamil Month of ‘Chithirai,’ known as ‘Chaitra’ in other languages.
It therefore almost always falls on or about 14 April every year on the Gregorian calendar.
